BV  4010  .M57  1907 

Moore,  William  Thomas,  1832-i 

1926. 
Preacher  problems 


PREACHER  PROBLEMS 


;  M 


Preacher   Problems 

OR  THE 

TWENTIETH    CENTURY    PREACHER 
AT    HIS  WORK 


WILLIAM   THOMAS   MOORE,  LL.D. 


New  York         Chicago         Toronto 

Fleming    H.    Revell    Company 

London    and    Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1907,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York :  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh :    100  Princes  Street 


PREFACE 

In  preparing  this  volume  the  author  has  had  a  specific 
object  in  view.  That  object  is  to  supply  the  twentieth 
century  preacher  with  suggestions  as  to  his  word  and 
work.  The  book  is  not  a  compilation  of  matter  from 
works  on  homiletics  and  pastoral  theology.  It  is  the 
result  of  the  author's  own  personal  experience  in  a  minis- 
try of  over  fifty  years.  During  this  long  period  of  active 
ministry  he  has  served  some  of  the  most  important 
churches  in  both  Europe  and  America,  and  at  the  same 
time  he  has  been  intimately  associated  with  the  public 
press  of  these  countries,  by  which  means  he  has  been 
brought  into  intimate  contact  with  the  needs  of  the  public 
ministry  of  a  very  wide  parish,  and  consequently  the 
knowledge  thus  obtained  has  enabled  him  to  deal  with 
the  problems,  considered  in  this  volume,  from  a  some- 
what comprehensive  point  of  view. 

The  author  has  also  had  considerable  experience  in  the 
training  of  young  men  for  the  ministry,  both  in  colleges 
and  in  special  training  classes,  and  this  experience  has 
furnished  him  with  material  at  first  hand  with  which  to 
treat  the  educational  side  of  the  preacher's  preparation 
for  his  work.  Indeed,  the  entire  contents  of  the  volume 
were  originally  prepared  as  lectures  for  ministerial  stu- 
dents in  colleges  and  universities,  though  some  of  the 
lectures  have  been  delivered  before  preachers'  institutes 
and  associations. 

Nor  have  the  form  and  matter  of  these  lectures  been 
changed  in  any  essential  particxdar.    They  are  now  printed 


2  PREFACE 

just  as  they  were  first  written.  While,  on  some  accounts, 
it  might  have  been  better  to  give  the  lectures  a  careful 
revision  and  also  some  of  the  problems  a  fuller  treatment, 
nevertheless  the  author  has  thought  that,  upon  the  whole, 
the  lectures  may  do  more  good  by  retaining  their  original 
form  and  matter,  and  consequently  they  now  appear  ex- 
actly as  they  were  delivered,  when  first  prepared,  except 
that  in  some  cases  the  lectures,  when  first  delivered,  were 
expanded  by  extemporaneous  remarks,  which  remarks  are 
not  included  in  this  printed  report. 

It  will  soon  appear  to  the  reader  that  the  purpose  of 
these  lectures  is  much  more  comprehensive  than  is  usual 
in  such  a  work.  In  solving  problems,  and  especially  such 
problems  as  will  continually  meet  the  twentieth  century 
preacher,  much  more  is  required  than  a  few  practical  hints 
with  respect  to  the  preparation  and  delivery  of  sermons 
and  the  performance  of  what  is  usually  understood  by 
pastoral  work.  In  treating  the  more  pressing  preacher 
problems  of  the  present  day,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to 
discuss  somewhat  exhaustively  such  questions  as  appeared 
to  the  author  to  be  of  special  value.  This  will  explain 
why  it  is  that  some  problems  have  received  a  much  fuller 
treatment  than  others.  It  is  not  claimed  that  any  prob- 
lem has  received  all  the  attention  it  deserves.  The  aim 
has  been  to  simply  help  the  preacher  to  solve  each  problem 
for  himself,  and  consequently  the  volume  is  suggestive 
rather  than  exhaustive.  In  short,  the  author  has  had 
constantly  in  view  just  what  would  be  most  helpful  to 
the  preacher,  not  what  was  most  congenial  to  the  author 
himself. 

It  is  not  probable  that  everything  the  book  contains 
will  be  endorsed  by  even  the  average  twentieth  century 
preacher.  We  certainly  have  not  reached  any  such  mil- 
lennium as  would  justify  an  expectation  so  remarkable 


PREFACE  3 

as  this.  All  the  author  claims  is  that  what  he  has  written 
is  the  result  of  an  unbiased,  careful  and  prayerful  ex- 
amination of  all  the  facts  and  conditions  within  his  reach; 
and  that  his  conclusions  are  based  upon  a  wide  experience 
and  conscientious  desire  to  help  the  faithful  minister 
of  the  twentieth  century  in  his  arduous  and  responsible 
work.  Should  the  volume  prove  to  be  useful  to  the  men 
for  whom  it  is  intended,  the  author  will  be  more  than 
repaid  for  all  his  labour  in  preparing  it  for  publication. 

It  ought  to  be  said,  however,  that  while  the  volume  is 
intended  specifically  for  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  it  con- 
tains much  that  may  be  read  by  Christians  generally,  as, 
in  many  particulars,  the  whole  of  church  life  has  neces- 
sarily received  considerable  attention. 

.W.  T.  M. 

Columbia,  Missouri. 


CONTENTS 


PART   I 

Problems  Growing  Out  of  the  Preacher's 
Personal  Relation  to  His  Work 


CHAPTER 
I. 

n. 
in. 

IV. 

V.    . 

VI. 

vn. 
vin. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

xn. 


The  Problem   of  His   Call  to  the  Ministey 
The  Problem  of  Personal  Character     . 
The  Problem   of   Equipment 
The  Problem  of  When,  Where,  and  How  to 

Accept  a  Pastorate 
The  Problem  of  a  Library 
The  Problem  of  the  Sermon  . 
The  Problem  of  Visiting 
The  Problem  of  Literary  Work 
The    Problem    of    Relations    to    Other    Min 

isters  and  churches 
The  Problem  of  Vacation  and  Travel 
Problem  of  Little  Worries 
The  Problem  of  How  to  Begin  a  Pastorate 


PAGE 

7 

17 

,     24 

29 
38 
44 
55 
59 

64 
70 
75 
83 


PART    II 

Problems  (StRowing  Out  of  the  Modern  View 
OF  the  World 

Xm.  The  Problem  of  a  Fulcrum     ....  95 

XIV.  The  Problem  of  Science          ....  108 

XV.  Philosophical  Problems           ....  127 

XVI.  Ethical   Problems 131 

XVII.  Theological  Problems 140 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

XVIII.  Pboblem  of  Authority     •        .;        :,; 

XIX.  The  Problem  of  Liberty 

XX.  The  Problem  of  Biblical  Criticism 

XXI.  Problem  of  Hermeneutics 
XXn.  Problem  of  Bible  Study  . 

XXIII.  Problem  of  Organisation 

XXIV.  The  Problem  of  Problems,  or  How  to  Harmo- 

nise Christianity  with  the  Reasonable 
Demands  of  the  Present  Age  . 


VI 
PAGE 

192 
198 
220 
231 
244 
250 


254 


PART    III 
Problems  Growing  Out  of  Ways  and  Means; 
OR^  How  TO  Meet  the  Practical  Duties  of 
THE  Preacher's  Position 

XXV.  The  Problem  of  Time     .         .         .,        ;.•        .  265 

XXVI.  The  Problem  of  Men       .         .        ,.;        .;        .  270 

XXVII.  The  Problem  of  Women  .         .;        .,        .  281 

XXVIII.  The  Problem  of  the  Rich       .         .        >;        •  290 

XXIX.  Problem  of  Social  Life  .         .         ,        >;        .  312 

XXX.  The  Problem  of  the  Prayer  Meeting      .         .  318 

XXXI.  The  Problem  of  the  Sunday  School        .         .  323 
XXXII      Problem  of  Home  Training     ....  331 

XXXIII.  The  Problem  of  Societies  in  the  Church       .  339 

XXXIV.  The  Problem  of  Church  Music       .         .         .  395 

XXXV.  The  Problem  of  Evangelism    ....  352 

XXXVI.  The  Problem  of  the  Preacher  for  the  Pres- 

ent Age,  and  How  He  is  to  be  Supplied     .  370 


PART  I 

Problems  Growing  Out  of  the  Preacher's 
Personal  Relation  to  His  Work 


The  preacher  himself  cannot  legitimately  be  separated 
from  his  work.  The  two  are  intimately  joined  together. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  a  sense  in  which  the  preacher,  as 
a  man,  must  be  considered  before  we  can  intelligently 
determine  even  what  his  work  may  be.  Mental,  moral, 
and  physical  characteristics  must  not  be  ignored,  if  we 
wish  to  study  carefully  the  fitness  of  any  man  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  Consequently,  I  think  it  will  be 
generally  conceded,  by  all  competent  judges,  that  the  per- 
sonal relations  of  the  preacher  properly  come  first  in  any 
worthy  consideration  of  the  subject  before  us.  I  shall, 
therefore,  begin  with  the  problems  which  grow  out  of 
the  preacher's  personal  relation  to  his  work. 


THE  PKOBLEM  OF  HIS  CALL  TO  THE 
MINISTRY 

It  is,  doubtless,  true  that  the  subject  of  a  divine  call 
to  the  ministry  has  been  discussed  in  a  way  which  has 
frequently  been  misleading.  During  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury what  was  denominated  the  divine  call  was  very 
often  loaded  down  with  superstitions  which  did  much  to 
bring  about  a  reaction  which  has  well-nigh  proved  fatal 
to  the  ministry  itself.  Nowhere,  perhaps,  has  the  for- 
mula— "  extremes  beget  extremes  " — ^been  more  strikingly 
illustrated  than  in  the  reaction  which  has  just  been  men- 
tioned. From  the  notion  that  "  sights  and  sounds  ^'  were 
necessary  to  an  assurance  of  fitness  for  the  ministry,  the 
prevailing  rationalism  has  practically  carried  the  public 
mind  to  the  opposite  extreme  where  the  divine  element  is 
completely  eliminated,  and  where  the  selection  of  the  min- 
isterial calling  is  made  wholly  dependent  upon  conditions 
which  have  no  relation  whatever  to  the  voice  of  God  in 
determining  the  course  of  the  preacher.  He  is  simply 
governed  by  the  conditions  of  his  environment,  and  con- 
sequently enters  upon  his  work  very  much  as  if  he  were 
choosing  any  other  profession. 

The  "  call  ^'  may  not  be  in  a  very  clear  voice  to  every 
one  who  enters  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Some 
natures  are  more  sensitive  than  others.  Some  have  a 
more  distinct  hearing  than  others.  What  is  a  very  faint 
echo  of  Scripture  teaching  in  the  ears  of  one  man  will 


8  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

sound  like  the  thunder  of  Sinai  or  the  rushing  of  the 
mighty  wind  at  Pentecost  in  the  ears  of  another.  We 
all  may  have  exactly  the  same  experience,  and  yet  that 
experience  will  differ  in  its  effect  upon  the  different  cases. 
But  as  a  matter  of  fact  we  do  not  all  have  the  same 
experiences.  Conversion  itself  is  not  exactly  the  same 
experience  to  all  men.  The  measure  of  the  impression 
will  depend  largely  upon  the  impressibility  of  the  subject, 
and  the  outward  manifestation  of  its  effect  will  be  dif- 
ferent in  the  child  who  has  been  brought  up  in  a  religious 
family  and  in  the  Sunday  school,  from  what  it  will  be 
in  the  case  of  a  man  who  has  been  a  great  sinner.  Who- 
ever cannot  discriminate  between  these  two  cases  can  never 
understand  the  subject  of  conversion  in  its  practical 
aspects. 

The  same  is  true  as  regards  the  call  to  the  ministry. 
All  circumstances  of  the  case  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration, and  the  experience  of  one  man  must  not  be 
taken  in  its  whole  measure  as  the  experience  of  every 
other  man.  Nevertheless,  every  man  should  be  reasona- 
bly certain  that  he  is  divinely  fitted  for  the  great  work 
to  which  he  aspires,  before  he  assumes  to  enter  upon  it. 
Are  there  any  marks  which  will  help  him  to  determine 
this  vital  matter?  A  few  suggestions  may  not  be  out 
of  place  before  it  is  even  worth  while  to  consider  anything 
else. 

(1)  Whoever  thinks  seriously  of  entering  the  ministry, 
first  of  all,  ought  to  settle  the  question  as  to  whether  he 
is  a  Christian  or  not.  Of  course,  he  will  be  a  member  of 
some  church.  It  is  scarcely  probable  that  a  man  would 
seek  to  preach  the  Gospel  who  does  not  at  least  formally 
occupy  a  Christian  position.  But  one  of  the  sad  features  of 
modern  Christianity  is  that  in  it  all  is  not  gold  that  glitters. 
It  is  to  be  greatly  feared  that  many,  even  very  many, 


OF   HIS   CALL   TO   THE   MINISTRY         9 

professed  Christians  of  the  present  day  have  not  been 
born  from  above,  and  consequently  do  not  possess  any 
real  spiritual  vitality.  They  have  names  to  live  by,  but 
are  practically  dead.  Now,  it  is  simply  impossible  to 
make  an  effective  minister  of  the  Gospel  out  of  one  of 
these  purely  professional  Christians.  Consequently,  the 
first  thing  to  be  determined  by  the  man  who  is  seeking 
a  place  among  those  who  proclaim  the  word  of  life  is  his 
own  spiritual  attitude.     Is  he  really  a  Christian? 

It  is  not  here  denied  that  even  carnal  or  psychical  men 
may  attract  considerable  attention,  draw  large  crowds  to 
hear  them  preach,  and  even  accomplish  some  good  in  the 
ministry,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  if  Christ  is 
preached,  no  matter  for  what  motive,  good  will  likely  be 
done.  But  after  all  it  must  be  strongly  emphasised  that 
only  the  man  who  is  deeply  interpenetrated  by  the  spirit 
of  God,  or  who  is  a  genuine  Christian,  born  from  above, 
and  living  in  harmony  with  high  spiritual  ideals  will  or 
can  become  eminently  useful  in  either  winning  souls  for 
Christ  or  in  building  up  churches  in  faith,  hope,  and 
love.  A  purely  psychical  man  may  gain  notoriety,  but 
only  what  Paul  calls  the  "  pneumatiJcos  anthropos  "  can 
in  the  scriptural  sense  win  souls  to  Christ  and  build  up 
a  permanent  ministry  for  good. 

(2)  The  man  who  seeks  a  place  in  the  ministry  of  the 
Word  should  have  a  reasonable  amount  of  native  intel- 
lectual force.  It  is  not  true  that  anybody  can  preach 
the  gospel  effectively.  There  is  no  other  position  which 
calls  for  higher  or  more  consecrated  talent,  and  there  is 
no  other  position  where  there  is  greater  room  for  the 
development  and  use  of  the  highest  intellectual  endow- 
ment. While  in  religious  matters  the  intellect  must 
never  be  allowed  to  usurp  the  place  of  the  heart,  still  we 
must  be  careful  not  to  discount  the  intellect,  and  espe- 


10  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

cially  in  view  of  the  particular  work  which  the  preacher 
'has  to  do  in  the  twentieth  century.  We  are  living  in  a 
marvellous  age.  Every  day  brings  with  it  discoveries 
and  achievements  which  actually  startle  the  most  radical 
progressionists  in  all  the  land.  We  are  bewildered  at 
our  own  advancement  in  the  intellectual  realm.  This 
age  is  the  wonder  of  all  ages.  Over  seven  thousand  years 
of  man's  history  are  being  poured  into  our  twentieth 
century  development.  Nor  are  we  satisfied  with  unlock- 
ing all  the  resources  of  the  past.  Prophecy  is  coming  to 
our  help.  The  distant  ages  of  the  future  are  meeting  the 
inflow  of  the  historic  past,  and  the  twentieth  century 
preacher  is  called  upon  to  analyse  and  assimilate  both 
the  past  and  the  future  in  the  living  present  of  this 
wonderful  twentieth  century  era.  To  be  able  to  do  this 
he  ought  to  be  a  man  of  supreme  intellectual  force.  How- 
ever, it  is  not  necessary  that  this  intellectual  force  should 
have  exactly  the  same  measure  in  every  case.  There  must 
be  variety  here  as  in  everything  else.  It  is  no  disgrace 
to  be  the  least  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  it  is  no  dis- 
grace to  be  the  least  in  intellect  among  the  whole  army  of 
preachers.  Nevertheless,  even  the  least  should  occupy  a 
very  high  position.  If  Abel  offered  a  more  excellent 
sacrifice  than  Cain  because  he  offered  the  firstlings  of  his 
flock,  then  surely  the  church  ought  to  give  the  best  men 
it  possesses  for  the  great  service  of  the  ministry  of  the 
Word.  God  will  not  accept  inferior  gifts,  and  conse- 
quently it  is  well  for  each  church  to  look  for  the  best 
gifts  among  its  membership,  and  only  such  young  men 
as  have  this  high  intellectual  endowment  should  be 
encouraged  to  enter  the  ministry. 

(3)  The  preacher  must  have  high  moral  qualifications. 
These  qualifications  have  been  somewhat  anticipated  in 
what  I  have  said  concerning  Christian  character.     I  do 


OF   HIS    CALL   TO    THE    MINISTRY       ii 

not  wish  to  be  misunderstood  at  this  point.  A  man  may 
be  "  good,"  and  yet  not  fit  for  the  ministry.  Indeed,  his 
most  prominent  characteristic  may  practically  disqualify 
him  for  any  very  effective  work.  Some  men  are  so  good 
that  they  are  good  for  nothing.  In  other  words,  they  seem 
to  live  in  an  atmosphere  which  practically  unfits  them 
for  the  active  duties  of  life  among  real  men  and  women. 
A  preacher  must  not  sacrifice  his  manhood,  nor  his  man- 
liness, nor  his  naturalness.  And  I  mean  by  this  last  word 
his  power  to  adapt  himself  to  the  conditions  in  which, 
from  time  to  time,  he  finds  himself.  It  may  not  be  ex- 
actly true  that  when  we  are  in  Rome  we  must  do  as  Rome 
does,  but  there  is  a  suggestion  of  truth  in  this  old  saw 
which  may  be  of  value  to  the  preacher  who  imagines  him- 
self living  in  a  world  of  spiritual  beings,  whereas  in  fact 
he  is  living  in  a  world  where  flesh  and  blood  have  a  very 
predominating  influence. 

(4)  Physical  conditions  are  of  considerable  value  in 
determining  a  call  to  the  ministry.  Too  many  sickly  or 
effeminate  men  have  sought  the  ministry  mainly  because 
they  were  physically  weak,  and  consequently  imagined 
that  they  could  perform  the  functions  of  the  ministry 
without  any  very  special  endowment  of  physical  strength. 
This  notion,  however,  is  evidently  based  upon  a  mis- 
conception of  the  real  duties  of  the  ministry.  There  is, 
perhaps,  no  other  place  where  equable  temper  and  the 
power  of  endurance  are  more  decidedly  needed.  More 
than  half  of  the  minister's  troubles  often  come  from  his 
physical  infirmities.  He  is  nervous,  extremely  sensitive, 
has  no  power  of  endurance,  is  perhaps  a  dyspeptic,  lives 
under  conditions  which  constantly  depress  him;  in  short, 
he  is  physically  a  wreck,  and  though  he  may  be  highly 
intellectual  and  endowed  with  a  deep  spiritual  nature, 
nevertheless,  if  his  sound  mind  be  not  in  a  sound  body 


12  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  reaction  of  his  physical  infirmities  will  often  prac- 
tically unfit  him  for  the  great  and  arduous  duties  which 
belong  to  the  ministerial  calling. 

It  is  just  here  where  many  a  preacher  is  wrecked.  He* 
cannot  endure  the  nervous  strain  to  which  he  is  subjected* 
by  the  numerous  crosses  which  his  physical  condition* 
constantly  augments  and  emphasises;  and  what  makes  his* 
case  still  more  difiicult  is  that  his  very  weakness  invites* 
to  habits  of  life  which  tend  to  increase  rather  than  de-j 
crease  his  infirmities.  He  is  almost  sure  to  be  a  hard* 
student  of  books  and  to  confine  himself  mainly  to  indoor, 
life.  Outdoor  exercise  is  distasteful  to  him  and  he,  there^ 
fore,  chooses  that  which  only  adds  fuel  to  the  flame  which 
is  already  burning  up  his  usefulness.  It  often  happens* 
that  a  most  worthy,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  man  is» 
unable  to  make  his  ministry  a  success  simply  because  of - 
bodily  weakness  and  inability  to  use  such  means  as  will  help- 
to  restore  physical  strength.  While  he  should,  perhaps,* 
never  have  entered  the  ministry,  he  may  not  be  altogether* 
a  hopeless  case  if  he  will  "throw  physic  to  the  dogs,"  and' 
study,  for  a  time,  at  least,  his  sermons  in  stones  and  run- 
ning brooks  instead  of  musty  books  which  are  never  dis-« 
turbed  except  by  his  midnight  researches.  The  whole  man . 
is  made  up  of  a  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  and  each  one  of  these, 
must  be  carefully  considered  when  a  man  is  solving  the  • 
question  of  entering  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 

(5)  Another  important  mark  of  fitness  for  the  minis- 
try is  the  irresistible  conviction  of  duty.  A  man  should 
feel  as  Paul  did :  "  Woe  be  to  me  if  I  preach  not  the 
gospel."  This  feeling  by  itself  may  not  be  a  very  safe 
guide.  Doubtless,  no  one  should  enter  the  ministry  if 
he  can  reasonably  help  it;  and  I  mean  by  this  that  the 
conviction  of  duty  in  that  respect  should  be  so  over- 
whelming that  he  dare  not  resist  the  call. 

Earnest  convictions  are  essential  to  any  work  that  re- 


OF   HIS   CALL   TO   THE   MINISTRY       13 

quires  labour  and  struggle.  It  was  this  that  made 
Napoleon  the  first  the  unconquerable  hero  that  he  was. 
He  believed  that  he  had  a  mission,  that  he  was  a  man  of 
destiny,  and  that  nothing  could  successfully  resist  him 
in  his  efforts  to  carry  out  his  plans.  So  of  all  the  suc- 
cessful men  who  have  ever  lived.  They  have  been  men 
of  intensely  earnest  convictions  and  have  always  gone 
forward  in  their  work  with  a  zeal  and  energy  which  re- 
fused to  know  any  defeat.  Now,  shall  we  ignore  all  the 
facts  of  history  in  the  selection  of  men  to  proclaim  the 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  ?  Shall  we  be  satisfied  with  a 
mere  professional  qualification?  Must  we  accept  of 
young  men  for  the  most  important  and  sacred  work  be- 
neath the  skies,  simply  because  they  reckon  the  minis- 
terial calling  an  easy  place  and  one  which  assures  a  living  ? 
Surely  there  must  be  deeper  convictions  than  that.  A 
timid  irresolution,  a  halting  inactivity,  or  a  doubting 
hesitancy  are  unpromising  elements  of  character  with 
which  to  equip  a  man  for  a  robust  and  healthy  ministry. 
Yoimg  men  who  bear  the  standard  of  the  cross  to  the 
nations  must  feel  that  the  highest  obligations  of  a  life- 
time and  eternity  impel  them  to  enter  the  work.  They 
must  feel  that  the  work  cannot  be  done  unless  they  do 
it,  and  that  they  cannot  fail  in  what  is  proposed,  be- 
cause the  everlasting  arms  will  be  around  them,  protect- 
ing them  from  all  danger,  while  the  divine  Lord  Himself 
will  verify  his  promise  to  be  with  them  always  even  to 
the  end  of  the  world. 

One  of  the  most  striking  elements  in  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
character  was  that  he  believed  in  his  mission.  He  had  no 
doubts  with  respect  to  his  call  to  do  a  special  work — 
a  work  which  no  other  man  could  do,  simply  because 
every  man  has  his  God-given  place,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon 
recognised  this  fact  in  all  of  his  undertakings.  Hence, 
he  did  not  go  about  his  work  in  a  trembling,  halting, 


14  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

hesitating  manner;  but  whatever  his  hands  found  to  do 
he  did  with  all  his  might.  The  very  moment  he  came 
before  his  people,  he  impressed  them  with  the  sublime 
faith  which  he  had  in  his  mission.  He  heartily  believed 
that  God  had  called  him  to  the  work  of  preaching  the 
Gospel  and  that,  therefore,  he  could  not  fail  in  the  ac- 
complishment of  great  results.  He  came  before  his 
people  in  the  name  of  Christ,  spake  in  the  name  of  Christ, 
asked  sinners  in  the  name  of  Christ  to  obey  the  gospel 
and  be  saved.  No  wonder  his  ministry  was  a  success. 
Such  preaching  goes  forth  with  the  seal  of  authority  on 
it,  and  the  effect  is  just  what  might  be  reasonably  expected 
— thousands  are  converted  who  otherwise  would  have  re- 
garded the  story  of  the  cross  with  perfect  indifference. 
The  man  behind  the  Gospel  is  a  most  important  element 
in  the  Gospel's  success,  and  a  deep,  earnest  conviction  of 
duty  must  be  behind  the  man,  if  the  man  is  worth  any- 
thing to  the  Gospel  message. 

(6)  In  determining  the  question  of  a  call  to  the  min- 
istry the  voice  of  the  church  should  have  considerable 
influence.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  churches  of  the 
present  day  seem  to  have  lost  their  interest  to  a  large 
extent  in  the  selection  of  young  men  for  the  ministry  of 
the  Gospel.  The  time  was  when  individual  congregations 
seemed  to  delight  in  encouraging  young  men  who  had 
special  qualifications  for  preaching  the  Gospel.  Now, 
however,  no  one  appears  to  take  any  responsibility  in  the 
matter,  and  if  a  young  man  enters  the  ministry  at  all, 
he  does  so  mainly  on  his  own  initiative,  and  often  the 
church  as  a  whole,  where  his  membership  is,  knows  noth- 
ing of  his  determination.  He  enters  some  college  or 
university,  and  when  he  has  received  what  he  considers 
to  be  a  necessary  education,  he  seeks  a  church  where  he 
can  practise  his  profession. 


OF   HIS   CALL   TO   THE   MINISTRY       15 

Now  this  is  a  low  view  of  a  very  high  subject.  A 
young  man  ought  to  have  the  support  of  his  home  church 
behind  him  when  he  goes  to  college,  and,  speaking 
broadly,  he  ought  not  to  go  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
paring for  the  ministry  unless  his  home  church  is  thor- 
oughly willing  to  recommend  him  and  to  encourage  him 
in  the  calling  he  has  chosen.  The  voice  of  the  church 
may  not  always  be  the  voice  of  God,  but  it  is  certainly 
a  helpful  indication  when  the  voice  of  the  church  is 
in  harmony  with  all  the  other  indications  which  point 
to  a  special  call  to  the  ministry.  The  Apostles  of  Jesus 
Christ  did  not  even  ordain  deacons  to  distribute  alms  to 
the  widows  and  the  poor  until  the  church  had  been  con- 
sulted. Much  more  important  is  it  to  secure  the  church's 
approbation  in  the  case  of  young  men  who  are  seeking  to 
enter  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  Sometimes  the  church 
may  be  a  check  upon  the  overzealous  impetuosity  of 
youth.  A  young  man  went  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  in 
order  to  convince  the  latter  of  his  call,  he  told  Mr.  Spur- 
geon that  he  had  seen  written  on  the  sky  in  big  capital 
letters  "  P.  C,"  and  he  interpreted  this  to  mean  that  he 
was  called  to  "  preach  Christ,"  but,  said  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
P.  C.  stands  for  "  plough  corn,''  as  well  as  for  the  preach- 
ing of  Christ.  This  made  the  young  man  reflect,  and 
he  was  soon  convinced  that  his  miraculous  vision  might 
not,  after  all,  mean  what  he  thought  it  did.  Enthusiasm 
is  a  great  quality  in  a  man  who  seeks  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
but  enthusiasm  carefully  guarded  by  the  members  of  a 
local  congregation  may  be  a  great  help  in  guiding  a 
young  man  into  the  way  he  ought  to  go. 

(7)  Finally,  an  exalted  estimate  of  the  ministerial 
calling  is  itself  a  strong  indication  of  fitness  for  the  work. 
Whoever  enters  upon  this  work  ought  to  be  persuaded  that 
it  is  the  noblest  of  all  callings  to  which  man  may  aspire. 


i6  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

No  wonder  the  Apostle  Paul  should  have  said  "  whoever 
desires  the  ofiBce  of  a  bishop  desires  a  good  work/'  In- 
deed, there  is  no  other  work  like  it,  and  no  other  work 
that  excels  it  in  dignity  and  importance;  and  unless  the 
candidate  is  impressed  with  this  notion  of  the  work  he 
had  better,  at  once,  seek  some  other  calling;  for  without 
this  notion  he  will,  perhaps,  throughout  his  whole  life  be 
somewhat  doubtful  as  to  whether  he  has  wisely  chosen  or 
not.  This  fact  of  itself  will  make  him  half  hearted  in 
his  ministry,  and  will  probably  finally  make  his  work  a 
failure.  The  stream  cannot  rise  higher  than  the  foun- 
tain. Idealisation  always  goes  before  realisation;  nor  do 
we  usually  transcend  our  ideals  in  our  efforts  to  realise 
them;  consequently,  if  our  estimate  of  the  ministerial 
calling  is  not  high,  we  will  generally  work  on  a  plane 
that  is  even  lower  than  the  low  estimate  which  has  been 
made  of  the  work  in  which  we  are  engaged.  I  am  con- 
fident, however,  that  no  one  should  feel  himself  called 
to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  who  does  not  have  the  over- 
whelming conviction  that  there  is  no  other  work  on  this 
earth  equal  to  it  in  its  high  and  holy  character. 

The  foregoing  considerations  make  it  evident  that  no 
one  should  lightly  enter  upon  a  work,  such  as  the  min- 
istry of  the  gospel  is,  without  a  deep  sense  that  he  pos- 
sesses in  a  large  degree  the  qualifications  which  have  been 
indicated.  Nor  will  such  an  estimate  itself  in  any  way 
be  detrimental  to  his  humility.  On  the  contrary,  if  he 
possesses  the  qualifications  which  have  been  marked  out, 
a  consciousness  of  this  fact  will  probably  increase  his 
humility  and  sense  of  unworthiness,  for  when  he  sees 
plainly  what  the  office  requires  he  will  probably  say,  "  Who 
am  I  that  I  can  do  this  work  ?  "  and  this  very  sense  of  un- 
fitness will  make  him  strong  for  the  great  work  which 
lies  before  him. 


II 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  PERSONAL  CHARACTER 

Some  of  the  elements  entering  into  personal  character 
have  already  been  considered.  It  has  been  shown  that  only- 
persons  who  have  these  elements  in  a  reasonable  degree 
should  think  of  attempting  to  preach  the  Gospel.  But  the 
matter  of  character  is  of  such  great  importance  that  it  is 
deemed  well  to  give  it  a  somewhat  separate  treatment. 

Personality  is  the  aim  and  end  of  all  power.  The  whole 
universe  has  it  consummation  and  meaning  in  man.  With- 
out him  the  entire  cosmos  would  still  be  waste  and  wild, 
though  order  might  reign  over  the  chaos  which  prevailed 
before  the  Spirit  of  God  brooded  upon  the  great  deep. 
It  was  the  appearance  of  man  on  the  sixth  day  of  creation 
that  explained  and  utilised  all  the  creative  acts  of  the 
preceding  days. 

But  man  must  have  character  in  order  to  be  a  power  for 
good,  and  this  character,  speaking  ethically,  will  depend 
upon  the  universe  in  which  he  lives,  for  Christian  charac- 
ter consists  in  the  continued  dominance  of  a  divine  uni- 
verse. A  man  of  good  character  is  one  in  whom  the  uni- 
verse of  duty  habitually  controls  him.  A  thief  is  one  who 
lives  in  a  universe  where  the  controlling  influences  are 
essentially  dishonest.  In  like  manner  all  other  kinds  of 
character  may  be  differentiated  by  reference  to  the  nature 
of  the  universes  which  dominate  them. 

Now  it  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  that  the  preacher  of 
the  Gospel  must  be  entirely  free  from  any  fault.  History 
records  only  one  example  of  a  sinless  person.    Even  Pilate 

17 


l8  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

could  find  no  fault  in  Him.  However,  the  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  .though  not  entirely  sinless,  should  live  in  a  uni- 
verse that  is  strongly  and  habitually  dominated  by  good 
and  where  evil  is  lonesome  because  of  a  lack  of  sympathy 
with  it.  When  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  has  this  predom- 
inating character,  he  will  preach  more  by  example  than  by 
precept,  for  the  average  audience  will  be  affected  more 
decidedly  by  a  living  example  than  they  will  be  by  the 
most  eloquent  sermons.  In  my  early  ministry  I  had  an 
experience  which  justifies  what  I  have  just  stated.  A 
gentleman  had  been  attending  my  ministry  for  several  years 
and  had  never  obeyed  the  Gospel.  I  finally  regarded  him  as 
a  hardened  sinner,  and  practically  gave  him  up  to  his 
fate. 

But  one  day,  to  my  utter  surprise,  he  came  forward  at 
the  close  of  my  sermon  and  asked  to  be  baptised  that  same 
evening.  After  the  dismission  of  the  audience  I  sought 
an  interview  with  this  gentleman,  that  I  might  acquaint 
myself  fully  with  his  spiritual  condition.  I  was  also  curi- 
ous to  know  what  had  finally  determined  his  course  of 
action.  He  frankly  told  me  that  it  was  not  my  preaching ; 
but  he  said  it  was  the  life  of  a  godly  woman  in  the  church 
whose  example  he  had  watched  for  many  years,  and  whose 
conduct  was  such  that  he  could  not  help  believing  that  her 
religion  was  a  reality,  and  that  the  Saviour  whom  she 
trusted  was  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  Many  other  simi- 
lar cases  might  be  mentioned  by  preachers  who  have  care- 
fully noted  the  power  of  a  really  earnest  Christian  example. 
A  preacher  may  be  as  eloquent  as  Demosthenes,  as  logical 
as  Aristotle,  as  philosophical  as  Kant,  and  as  scholarly 
as  Bishop  Ellicott  and  yet  be  practically  a  failure  as  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  simply  because  his  example  out 
of  the  pulpit  makes  it  impossible  for  people  to  thoroughly 


OF    PERSONAL   CHARACTER  19 

believe  in  him.  In  such  a  case  it  may  be  truly  said  that 
when  he  is  in  the  pulpit  he  ought  never  to  be  out  of  it, 
and  when  he  is  out  of  it,  he  ought  never  to  be  in  it. 

A  preacher  must  not  only  have  a  good  character,  but  he 
must  also  have  a  good  reputation.  It  is  freely  admitted 
that  one  of  these  may  not  always  follow  the  other,  though 
as  a  rule  it  is  believed  that  in  the  long  run  the  two  will 
correspond.  The  old  distinction  between  character  and 
reputation  is  not  without  its  value,  the  former  being  what 
a  man  is  and  the  latter  what  the  people  thinlc  he  is.  One 
is  what  God  sees,  and  the  other  is  what  the  world  sees. 
However,  it  is  probably  true  that,  in  most  cases,  if  not 
in  all,  the  man  of  bad  character  will  ultimately  be  un- 
covered to  the  public  gaze.  It  is  not  only  true  that 
murder  will  out,  but  all  evil  ways  will  at  some  time  be 
exposed  on  the  housetop ;  so  that  the  minister  who  has  not 
a  good  character  cannot  maintain  a  good  reputation,  and 
yet  this  good  reputation  is  of  incalculable  value  in  order 
to  a  successful  career.  One  of  the  qualifications  which 
Paul  mentions  with  respect  to  bishops  is  that  the  bishop 
shall  have  "  a  good  report  among  those  who  are  without." 
In  other  words,  he  shall  have  a  good  reputation,  and  this 
reputation  shall  extend  to  those  who  are  not  identified 
with  the  church.  The  wisdom  of  this  is  not  far  to  seek. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  that  a  preacher  of  the 
Gospel  or  an  overseer  of  the  church  cannot  influence  men 
for  good  unless  the  preacher  himself  is  good.  Every- 
thing shall  produce  after  its  kind.  This  law  is  just  as 
applicable  in  the  ministry  as  anywhere  else.  An  evil 
tree  cannot  bring  forth  good  fruit,  and  consequently  a 
man  of  bad  character  or  reputation  cannot  produce  fruit 
unto  holiness  that  the  end  may  be  everlasting  life. 

A  brief  summary  of  a  few  important  characteristics 


20  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

may  be  helpful  in  widening,  deepening,  and  extending 
the  influence  of  the  preacher. 

(1)  The  preacher  must  be  honest.  First  of  all  he 
must  be  honest  with  himself.  He  dare  not  trifle  with  his 
own  convictions.  No  kind  of  policy  can  possibly  justify 
him  in  playing  hide  and  seek  with  what  he  believes  to  be 
right.  When  he  enters  the  pulpit  he  ought  not  to  have 
the  fear  of  man  before  his  eyes.  He  ought  to  realise 
that  his  message  is  from  God,  and  that  he  personally  is 
not  responsible  for  what  that  message  declares.  It  is  his 
duty  to  declare  that  message,  whatever  it  is,  whether  it 
pleases  or  displeases,  and  in  no  case  must  he  play  with 
his  conscience  in  order  to  secure  popularity. 

I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  he  should  have  no  con- 
sideration for  time  and  place.  Indeed,  these  are  very 
important  matters  as  regards  his  usefulness.  He  need 
not  necessarily  antagonise  the  prejudices  of  his  hearers 
with  a  message,  however  true  it  may  be,  for  which  they 
are  not  prepared.  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples,  "  I  have 
many  things  to  tell  you,  but  you  cannot  bear  them  now," 
meaning  by  this  that  they  had  not  been  sufficiently  de- 
veloped to  receive  heartily  the  many  things  which  he 
still  had  in  store  for  them.  Indeed  they  never  did  per- 
ceive the  whole  purport  of  his  mission  until  they  were 
endued  with  power  from  on  high.  After  the  day  of 
Pentecost  they  did  not  any  longer  stop  to  count  the  con- 
sequences, but  told  their  message  without  any  regard 
whatever  to  their  own  personal  safety  or  popularity. 
Their  message  was  revolutionary,  and  consequently  it 
came  directly  in  antagonism  with  all  the  prejudices  of 
the,  people  to  whom  the  message  was  delivered.  The  true 
message  of  the  Gospel  is  still  revolutionary,  and  the 
preacher  who  delivers  this  message  faithfully  will  un- 
doubtedly possess  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and  will 


OF   PERSONAL   CHARACTER  21 

often  find  himself  unpopular  simply  because  of  his  faith- 
fulness to  conscientious  duty. 

(2)  A  preacher  should  be  grave,  but  not  graveyardy, 
if  I  may  be  allowed  to  coin  this  term.  He  ought  to  be 
an  example  of  dignity,  earnestness,  and  sobriety.  But  he 
need  not  be  morose,  sour,  or  necessarily  distasteful  to  a 
reasonable  cheerfulness.  Indeed  he  ought  to  be  the  hap- 
piest of  men,  but  this  happiness  cannot  properly  manifest 
itself  through  a  coarse  levity  or  an  unseemly  humour. 
Genuine  wit  should  not  be  despised,  for,  if  judiciously 
used,  it  may  add  to  the  preacher's  influence;  but  the 
preacher  can  never  be  a  buffoon,  a  jester,  or  a  trifler 
without  decidedly  impairing  his  permanent  usefulness. 
With  a  certain  class  of  people  coarse  wit  is  frequently 
at  a  premium,  but  like  every  illegitimate  thing  it  must 
finally  come  to  grief,  and  with  dignified,  sensible  people 
it  is  always  at  a  heavy  discount.  Especially  should  levity 
in  the  use  of  scripture  be  discouraged.  The  cheap  puns 
on  passages  from  the  word  of  God,  or  the  use  of  passages 
for  the  purpose  of  giving  respectability  to  what  is  in 
itself  too  mean  to  stand  alone,  is  not  only  disreputable, 
but  in  many  cases  contemptible,  and  cannot  be  indulged 
in  without  placing  the  minister's  character  in  great  jeop- 
ardy. I  mention  this  matter  with  emphasis,  because  I 
fear  it  has  become  a  somewhat  settled  habit  with  even 
well-meaning  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  Their  public  ad- 
dresses are  sometimes  deeply  tainted  by  this  illicit  use 
of  the  scriptures.  We  must  not  only  not  handle  the  word 
of  God  deceitfully,  but  we  must  by  "  a  manifestation  of 
the  truth  commend  ourselves  to  every  man's  conscience  in 
the  sight  of  God."  But  how  can  any  man,  and  much  less 
any  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  wish  to  bring  his  coarse  jokes 
into  the  sight  of  God  with  the  hope  that  the  consciences 
of  men  will  be  seriously  affected  by  such  a  manifestion? 


23  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Let  the  preacher  maintain  in  his  life  and  conversation 
the  dignity,  sublimity,  and  glorious  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Bible.  Scripture  that  has  been  hammered  out  of 
shape  by  godless  puns  and  unholy  associations  may  be 
largely  shorn  of  its  strength  when  it  comes  to  be  used  for 
the  purpose  of  battering  down  the  strongholds  of  sin  and 
awakening  in  the  heart  the  high  ideals  of  the  religion  of 
Christ. 

The  power  of  association  is  always  great,  and  as  there 
is  only  one  step  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  it 
is  easy  to  turn  the  most  sacred  things  into  burlesque  or 
ridicule.  This  is  why  the  transfer  of  what  is  called 
secular  music  to  sacred  songs  is  always  very  hazardous. 
In  singing  the  latter  the  mind  is  often  turned  to  the 
former  associations  of  the  tune,  and  this  practically  de- 
stroys the  influence  of  the  song  upon  the  soul.  While  it 
may  be  true  that  a  correct  understanding  of  the  whole 
matter  would  obliterate  the  distinction  between  what  are 
called  secular  and  sacred  things,  it  is  undoubtedly  true 
that,  at  present  at  least,  we  are  compelled  to  recognise 
what  these  terms  stand  for  in  the  popular  estimation. 
But  however  this  may  be,  of  one  thing  I  am  profoundly 
convinced :  namely,  we  cannot  trifle  with  any  of  the  things 
that  enter  into  our  Christian  life  without  danger  to  our 
Christian  development;  and  certainly  it  is  true  that  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  cannot  misuse  either  the  scrip- 
tures or  the  hymns  of  the  church  without  seriously  im- 
pairing his  personal  influence  for  good  among  the  people 
whom  he  serves. 

(3)  A  preacher  must  be  prudent.  This  is  absolutely 
necessary.  It  is  not  only  true  that  he  that  winneth  souls 
is  wise,  but  he  must  be  wise  in  order  to  win  souls.  Im- 
prudence is  the  rock  on  which  many  ministerial  wrecks 
are  strewn.    There  must  be  no  foolish  use  of  the  tongue, 


OF   PERSONAL   CHARACTER  23 

no  improper  associations,  no  formation  of  unprofitable 
intimacies  with  either  men  or  women,  and  especially  must 
there  be  the  utmost  care  with  the  preacher's  relation  to 
women.  Without  the  slightest  intention  of  evil,  impru- 
dence may  lead  to  quick  and  irretrievable  loss  of  char- 
acter; at  any  rate  loss  of  reputation,  and  I  must  again 
quote  the  apostle's  qualification  that  the  minister  of  the 
Gospel  must  have  "  a  good  report  among  those  who  are 
without."  It  is  not  at  all  needful,  in  order  to  the  ruin 
of  reputation,  that  a  preacher  should  actually  commit  sin 
in  his  relation  to  others,  whether  male  or  female;  but  he 
may  by  simple  imprudence,  or  lack  of  tact  and  good 
judgment,  practically  bring  disaster  upon  his  usefulness 
for  the  work  in  which  he  is  engaged.  At  this  point  he 
must  exercise  self-denial,  and  sometimes  he  should  exer- 
cise this  in  the  highest  degree.  He  who  teaches  others 
that  the  first  duty  of  the  person  who  aims  to  follow  Christ 
is  self-denial,  must  himself  show  by  his  example  that  he 
can  surrender  those  things  that  belong  to  the  works  of 
the  flesh,  while  at  the  same  time  he  manifests  in  his  life 
the  fruit  of  the  spirit,  namely,  love,  joy,  peace,  longsuf- 
fering,  kindness,  faithfulness,  meekness,  temperance;  for 
against  such  there  is  no  law.  Consequently  the  preacher 
of  the  Gospel  who  continually  manifests  this  fruit  of  the 
spirit  is  in  no  danger  of  any  of  the  laws  of  either  state, 
church,  or  what  is  called  society.  His  life  will  be  safe- 
guarded against  all  encroachments  of  evil,  while  he  him- 
self will  be  a  living  example  of  the  highest  power  for 
good. 


Ill 

THE   PEOBLEM    OP   EQUIPMENT 

Having  settled  the  questions  of  a  call  to  the  ministry 
and  the  personal  character  necessary  to  success  in  the 
work,  the  next  important  matter  for  consideration  is  the 
educational  equipment  which  is  indispensable  in  order 
to  the  highest  eflBciency  and  success.  Speaking  broadly, 
every  twentieth  century  minister  of  the  Gospel  ought  to 
have  a  collegiate  or  university  education.  Perhaps  there 
never  was  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  churches  when 
academic  training  was  more  essential  than  in  the  present 
day.  Intellectual  activity  was  never  more  pronounced, 
and  the  demand  for  this  never  more  urgent.  The  Gospel  is 
the  same  for  all  ages,  and  yet  it  is  not  precisely  the  same, 
any  more  than  the  man  of  to-day  is  the  same  as  the  man 
of  yesterday.  He  is  the  same,  and  yet  not  the  same. 
It  is  possible  to  conceive  of  a  sense  in  which  the  Gospel 
is  itself  in  a  process  of  development.  Method  does 
not  necessarily  change  the  message,  but  the  message  may 
be  changed  by  the  method,  and  often  actually  is.  The 
way  of  seeing  a  thing  may  to  some  extent  change  the 
thing  itself,  and  this  is  precisely  what  has  happened  with 
respect  to  the  Gospel.  The  Gospel  as  generally  preached 
to-day  is  not  exactly  the  same  Gospel  that  was  preached  in 
apostolic  times.  Nor  is  it  necessary  that  it  should  be 
exactly  the  same.  Doubtless,  it  is  the  same  in  its  essential 
principles,  but  these  principles  may  be  so  modified  by  mod- 
em methods  that  the  message  may  have  a  somewhat  differ- 
ent meaning  from  what  it  had  in  the  early  days  of  the 
church;  and  as  to  whether  this  somewhat  new  message  is 


OF   EQUIPMENT  25 

better  than  the  old  one,  much  will  depend  upon  the  manner 
in  which  it  is  presented  to  the  hearers. 

But  allowing  that  the  message  is  in  every  respect,  or 
at  least  should  be  in  every  respect,  just  as  it  was  when  it 
was  first  delivered  by  the  apostolic  messengers,  it  is  still 
abundantly  true  that  modern  methods  are  essential  to  pre- 
sent that  message  as  it  should  be  presented  in  this  twentieth 
century.  It  is  most  important,  therefore,  that  every 
minister  of  the  Gospel  who  seeks  to  occupy  a  command- 
ing position  in  ministerial  work  should  avail  himself  of 
every  possible  opportunity  for  academic  equipment.  He 
must  seek  the  training  which  can  only  be  obtained  in  a 
first-class  college  or  university,  and  without  this  he  might 
just  as  well  make  up  his  mind  to  the  fact  that  he  cannot 
attain  to  the  highest  position  in  the  ministerial  calling. 
However,  let  no  one  suppose  that  this  academic  training 
is  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  usefulness  in  the  min- 
istry. There  is  a  vast  deal  of  difference  between  educa- 
tion and  learning.  A  man  may  be  well  educated  and  yet 
somewhat  devoid  of  scholarly  attainments.  The  Apostles 
of  Jesus  Christ  were  not  scholarly,  but  they  were  splen- 
didly educated.  Their  close  association  with  the  Great 
Teacher  for  over  three  years  was  an  opportunity  which  no 
one  can  command  in  these  days.  They  never  attended  a 
college  or  university  in  the  modern  sense,  and  yet  they 
were  in  a  school  of  the  highest  efficiency  in  preparation 
for  their  ministry.  In  addition  to  all  this  they  had  a 
special  endument  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  a  degree,  if  not 
in  kind,  excelling  anything  that  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
may  now  expect.  They  were,  therefore,  equipped  in  the 
highest  possible  manner  for  the  particular  work  which 
they  had  to  do,  though,  as  already  remarked,  they  did 
not  have  the  academic  training  which  is  afforded  by  our 
colleges  and  universities  of  the  present  day. 


26  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Now  it  is  possible  to  possess  many  important  qualifica- 
tions for  effective  ministerial  work  without  ever  entering 
a  college  or  university.  Indeed,  there  are  certain  spheres 
of  labour  in  the  ministry  which  may  possibly  be  better 
performed  by  men  who  are  simply  self-educated,  or  who 
have  had  little  or  no  academical  training  whatever.  There 
are  still  many  churches  and  communities  where  a  highly 
educated  man  would  not  be  satisfied  to  labour.  I  put 
it  this  way,  because  if  he  should  fail,  the  difficulty  would 
be  with  him  and  not  with  the  community.  Some  men  can- 
not preach  to  a  people  whose  acquirements  are  very  far 
below  their  own,  and  yet  if  an  academic  education  is  good 
for  anything,  it  ought  to  be  very  helpful  in  enabling  the 
preacher  to  simplify  his  message  and  bring  it  within 
the  comprehension  of  the  common  people.  It  seems  to 
me  that  is  precisely  the  main  purpose  of  an  education, 
in  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  But 
it  must  be  confessed  that  the  education  of  some  men  prac- 
tically spoils  them  for  usefulness.  They  are  always 
parading  their  learning  rather  than  the  message  which 
they  have  to  deliver.  They  spoil  the  simple  story  of  the 
cross  by  telling  it  in  a  sesquipedalian  phraseology.  The 
best  workmanship  is  that  which  shows  least  the  marks  of 
the  tools.  The  most  effective  preaching  is  that  which 
hides  all  the  chips  and  smoke  of  the  workshop.  I  have 
known  a  few  men  who  might  have  been  useful  preachers 
if  they  had  never  seen  a  college  or  university;  but  these 
are  the  exceptions,  not  the  rules.  As  already  intimated, 
speaking  generally,  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century 
must  be  a  college  or  university  man.  But  let  it  be  dis- 
tinctly understood  that  academic  training,  even  at  its 
best,  is  only  a  part  of  the  equipment  necessary  for  effec- 
tive work.  The  preacher  must,  above  everything,  become 
familiar  with  the  Word  of  God.    He  must  be  a  student  of 


OF   EQUIPMENT  27 

that  Word.  It  will  not  suffice  that  he  should  simply  read 
it.  There  is  a  kind  of  reading  of  the  Bible  which  is 
either  a  task  or  a  dissipation,  and  in  neither  case  does  it 
contribute  anything  valuable  to  the  equipment  of  the 
preacher  for  his  work.  The  Bible  must  be  prayerfully  and 
earnestly  studied,  and  its  richest  precepts  treasured  in  the 
heart.  "  Let  the  word  of  God  dwell  in  you  richly ''  is 
an  exhortation  which  is  of  special  importance  to  the 
minister  of  the  Gospel.  He  cannot  give  to  others  what  he 
himself  does  not  possess.  "  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the 
heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  If  the  heart  is  overflowing 
with  the  riches  of  God's  word,  then  the  utterance  will  be 
food  for  the  hearers.  Indeed,  so  important  is  the  matter 
of  studying  the  Word  of  God  in  order  to  a  successful 
ministry  that  in  my  opinion  no  one  can  be  an  efficient 
preacher  who  does  not  depend  upon  knowledge  of  this 
Word  not  only  for  guidance,  but  for  very  many  of  the 
very  words  he  uses  in  his  pulpit  ministrations.  No 
preaching  is  more  effective  than  that  which  uses  wisely 
the  very  words  of  the  Spirit.  Nor  does  this  study  of  the 
Bible  make  it  unnecessary  to  study  other  books  as  well. 
The  preacher  should  have  his  mind  well  stored  with  the 
richest  literature.  Especially  should  he  read  and  even 
commit  to  memory  the  best  poetry.  He  should  become 
familiar  with  the  great  hymns  of  the  church,  for  a  verse 
from  these  will  often  drive  home  a  truth  with  special 
power.  But  I  need  not  particularise.  The  whole  field 
of  the  best  literature  should  be  at  the  command  of  the 
preacher  who  wishes  to  be  thoroughly  equipped  for  his 
work. 

But  all  the  reading  that  he  could  possibly  do  can  never 
take  the  place  of  actual  experience.  Books  are  useful,  but 
whoever  studies  these  gets  his  knowledge  at  second  hand, 
and  this  is  always  subject  to  a  certain  discount.    But 


28  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

whoever  gets  his  knowledge  from  actual  experience  can 
speak  as  one  having  authority,  for  what  he  says  would 
bear  the  imprimature  of  actual  life,  and  consequently  will 
not  be  a  mere  repetition  of  what  others  have  said.  The 
successful  preacher  of  the  Gospel  will  value  very  highly 
his  eyes  and  ears,  for  they  will  enable  him  to  come  into 
contact  with  the  living  world,  and  thereby  furnish  him 
with  the  very  best  material  for  the  practical  uses  of  both 
sermon-making  and  the  administration  of  his  ministerial 
office. 


IV 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  WHEN",  WHERE,  AND  HOW 
TO  ACCEPT  A  PASTORATE 

After  the  preacher  has  become  fairly  equipped  for  his 
work,  he  will  begin  to  consider  the  question  as  to  a  perma- 
nent location.  But  he  ought  not  to  be  too  much  con- 
cerned about  this  matter.  The  time  will  come  when  it 
will  be  proper  enough  for  him  to  settle  down  at  some 
suitable  place  where  he  can  exercise  his  best  gifts.  But 
he  should  not  be  in  a  hurry  about  this  settlement.  He  has 
been  concerned  mainly  with  his  equipment  for  service, 
and  has,  so  far,  had  very  little  practical  experience.  But, 
after  all,  experience  is  the  best  teacher.  He  may  have 
everything  else,  but  without  experience  he  will  probably 
make  many  blunders.  He  knows  very  little  about  what 
preaching  really  is;  he  knows  still  less  of  the  actual 
duties  of  a  pastor.  He  has  heard  numerous  lectures, 
and  he  has  read  several  books  on  pastoral  theology  and 
pastoral  work.  But  when  he  enters  actually  upon  his 
ministry  he  will  find  that  many  of  the  suggestions  which 
he  has  treasured  with  so  much  care,  somehow  or  other  do 
not  fit  the  conditions  in  which  he  finds  himself,  and 
consequently  he  then  becomes  discouraged  and  some- 
times gives  up  his  work  in  utter  hopelessness,  simply  be- 
cause he  cannot  make  the  training  he  has  received  meet 
the  conditions  of  his  new  environment.  There  is  nothing 
strange  in  this  condition,  for  the  simple  reason  that  no 
one  can  possibly  provide  for  all  the  phases  of  individ- 
uality and  the  numerous  differences  in  environment.    Of 

39 


30  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

course,  there  are  many  things  that  can  be  taught  in  the 
class  room,  or  from  the  lecture  platform,  or  from  books, 
but  when  the  best  has  been  accomplished  in  these  respects 
there  will  still  remain  a  large  margin  which  can  only 
be  covered  by  experience.  This  fact  makes  it  necessary 
that  the  young  preacher  should  be  in  no  haste  to  per- 
manently locate.  He  needs  to  see  a  little  of  real  life. 
He  has  been  confined  largely  to  the  class  room,  and  at 
furtherest  he  has  not  gone  much  outside  of  the  college 
world.  It  will  now  help  him  very  much  if  he  can  have  a 
year  or  two  in  a  somewhat  miscellaneous  ministry.  Noth- 
ing will  be  better  for  him  than  to  hold  several  protracted 
meetings.  Such  meetings  will  be  useful  in  many  ways. 
In  the  first  place  they  will  give  him  practice  in  speaking, 
which  is  Just  one  of  the  things  he  needs.  In  the  second 
place  they  will  bring  him  in  contact  with  the  very  heart 
of  the  Gospel,  and  nothing  will  develop  the  biblical  stu- 
dent more  rapidly  than  this  blessed  contact.  He  needs 
to  have  his  lips  touched  with  a  live  coal  from  off  the 
altar,  and  he  can  find  this  inspiration  better  in  his  earnest 
struggle  to  save  souls  than  in  anything  else.  Perfunc- 
tory preaching  will  not  give  him  this  divine  afflatus.  He 
must  get  it  by  an  experimental  struggle,  such  as  may 
come  to  him  in  the  kind  of  meetings  I  have  suggested. 
He  will  find  in  this  new  work  an  enthusiasm  with  which 
he  has  not  been  acquainted,  and  this  will  press  him  on  to 
achievements  in  speaking  and  working  of  which  he  has 
scarcely  dreamed.  Third,  he  will  also  find  in  this  experi- 
ence a  practical  knowledge  of  human  nature  which  will  be 
of  great  value  to  him  in  the  years  to  come.  A  preacher 
without  this  knowledge  is  at  the  mercy  of  nearly  every 
evil  influence,  and  it  is,  therefore,  of  the  utmost  con- 
sequence that  he  should  become  acquainted  with  the 
various  phases   of  human  nature,   and  nowhere  can  he 


OF  HOW  TO  ACCEPT  A  PASTORATE  31 

find  these  phases  more  helpfully  prominent  for  study 
than  in  the  protracted  meetings  to  which  attention  has 
been  called. 

In  the  fourth  place,  he  will  have  opportunity  to  select 
a  suitable  place  for  permanent  location.  Visiting  various 
parts  of  the  country  will  enable  him  to  find  a  field  best 
suited  to  his  tastes  and  talents.  He  should,  therefore, 
guard  against  one  very  possible  result.  He  is  most  likely 
to  select  some  place  where  he  has  held  a  successful  meet- 
ing, and  this  for  the  reason  that  the  people  whom  he  has 
served  will  urge  him  to  settle  among  them,  and  he  him- 
self will  feel  inclined  to  do  so  because  he  is  already  sym- 
pathetically in  touch  with  them  and  acquainted  with 
them.  This  is  the  fatal  rock  on  which  many  a  young 
ministerial  bark  is  stranded.  The  young  preacher  does 
not  know  that  he  cannot  keep  up  forever  the  intense 
enthusiasm,  the  high  spiritual  fervour,  and  the  joyous  ear- 
nestness which  generally  accompany  a  successful  pro- 
tracted meeting.  If  he  should  settle  down  with  the 
people  who  have  been  cooperating  with  him  in  the  meet- 
ing, he  will  soon  find  himself  in  a  somewhat  different 
atmosphere,  and  consequently  he  will  neither  preach 
as  he  did  nor  will  his  audience  hear  him  as  they  did. 
The  result  will  be  that  he  will  soon  be  regarded  as 
having  already  spent  his  force,  and  will  probably  at 
once  lose  favour  with  his  people.  It  is  very  rare  that 
a  successful  pastorate  can  follow  a  successful  protracted 
meeting,  where  the  pastor  and  the  evangelist  are  the  same 
person. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  every  point  of  view  it 
is  certainly  generally  better  that  a  preacher  should  have 
two  or  three  years  of  actual  experience  at  preaching  in 
a  somewhat  miscellaneous  manner  before  he  attempts  to 
settle   down   to    a   permanent   pastorate.     However,   this 


2,2  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

rule,  like  all  rules,  has  its  exceptions.  Occasionally  a 
3'oung  man  niay  go  directly  out  of  college  into  a  pas- 
torate and  win  for  himself  a  high  degree  at  once  in  his 
new  vocation.  But  these  cases  are  exceptional,  and  must 
not  be  taken  too  seriously  by  those  who  are  seeking  the 
highest  usefulness. 

Much  will  depend  upon  the  place  selected,  as  well  as 
the  time  when  a  pastorate  is  to  begin.  Many  young 
men  utterly  fail  in  their  first  pastorate,  and  sometimes 
fail  throughout  their  ministry,  because  they  are  not  wise 
in  the  selection  of  a  proper  location.  In  most  cases  the 
cities  have  a  special  attraction  for  young  men.  We  need 
not  wonder  at  this.  Youth  is  fond  of  excitement.  A 
young  man  likes  to  be  in  the  midst  of  the  fight.  He  is 
anxious  to  be  where  life  is  illustrated  in  all  of  its  varied 
phases.  But  this  is  the  very  condition  that  is  dangerous 
to  him.  He  needs  experience,  but  this  experience  should 
come  to  him  gradually.  In  a  large  city  he  gets  his  ex- 
perience faster  and  more  of  it  than  he  can  bear.  He 
then  becomes  intoxicated  with  his  environment,  and  con- 
sequently ceases  to  use  those  plodding  instrumentalities 
which  are  so  essential  to  the  development  of  character 
for  permanent  good.  He  lends  himself  to  methods  which 
can  have  only  a  short-lived  value,  if  indeed  they  have 
any  value  at  all.  And  if  he  does  use  such  methods,  he 
then  finds  himself  utterly  discouraged  by  the  unexpected 
difficulties  which  lie  in  his  pathway.  His  social  life  is 
very  limited,  his  next  door  neighbour  is  perhaps  wholly 
unknown  to  him,  and  only  a  little  circle  of  the  church 
he  serves  have  the  slightest  concern  as  to  whether  he  lives 
or  dies.  He  soon  finds  that  the  dreams  which  had 
haunted  him  with  respect  to  the  life  of  the  great  city 
are  all  delusive,  and  now,  disappointed  and  broken,  he  gives 
up  the  fight  in  utter  hopelessness. 


OF  HOW  TO  ACCEPT  A  PASTORATE  33 

All  this  might  have  been  avoided  if  he  had  worked 
steadily  up  to  the  city.  When  Mr.  Moody  first  went  to 
England  he  was  urged  to  begin  his  campaign  in  London, 
the  great  metropolis  of  the  world,  but  he  utterly  refused 
to  do  so.  He  said  that  his  religious  services  would  be 
lost  in  London,  would  scarcely  make  a  ripple  upon  the 
surface  of  six  millions  of  people.  He  said  he  would  begin 
in  the  provinces  and  hopefully  work  up  to  London.  He 
said  his  services  might  deeply  impress  a  small  town  or 
city,  but  he  had  no  hope  that  he  could  do  much  with 
London  until  he  had  established  a  provincial  reputation. 
This  is  the  course  he  pursued,  and  we  know  what  the 
results  were.  After  a  very  successful  campaign  in  several 
provincial  towns  and  cities  he  carried  with  him  up  to 
the  metropolis  the  reputation  he  had  gained  in  the  coun- 
try, and  the  consequence  was  that  the  services  which  he 
held  in  London  really  impressed  the  whole  city.  The 
young  preacher  should  begin  in  the  smaller  places  and 
then  work  up  to  the  larger  ones.  He  should  not  despise 
the  day  of  small  things,  for  in  these  small  beginnings  he 
may  plant  the  seed  of  that  growth  whose  influence 
may  be  felt  in  some  of  the  largest  circles  where  people 
congregate. 

And  a  still  more  important  matter  is  how  to  begin 
a  pastorate.  The  old  saying  that  "a  bad  beginning 
makes  a  good  ending  "  was  never  true  in  any  case.  A 
bad  beginning  may  sometimes  have  a  good  ending,  but 
the  bad  beginning  did  not  make  this  good  ending.  The 
good  ending  came  in  spite  of  the  bad  beginning,  but  the 
bad  beginning  had  to  be  overcome,  and  is  always  a 
source  of  weakness  in  any  effort  to  build  up  a  good  work. 

This  is  especially  true  as  regards  a  pastorate.  A  few 
serious  mistakes  at  the  beginning  will  probably  make  it 
impossible  for  the  pastor  to  succeed.     Hence,  it  is  most 


34  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

important  that  he  should  begin  wisely,  and  in  order  to 
do  this  a  few  things  must  be  constantly  and  prayerfully 
observed. 

(1)  The  preacher  must  enter  upon  his  pastorate  mod- 
estly and  humbly.  These  are  qualities  which  are  always 
valuable  in  the  formation  of  permanent  character,  but 
in  no  place  are  they  more  indispensable  than  in  the  be- 
ginning of  a  pastorate.  The  young  preacher  should 
attempt  no  revolutionary  movement  in  the  church  at  the 
beginning  of  his  work.  It  may  be  that  he  sees  many 
things  that  ought  to  be  changed,  but  he  will  do  well  and 
act  wisely  if  he  lets  "  well  enough  alone,"  at  least  for 
awhile.  Any  radical  change  proposed  is  sure  to  receive 
a  certain  amount  of  opposition,  though  this  opposition 
may  not  be  publicly  or  formally  expressed.  Indeed  it 
is  not  likely  to  be  at  once  brought  into  active  antagonism 
with  the  preacher.  It  would  perhaps  be  better  for  him 
if  he  could  know  exactly  how  the  members  of  the  church 
are  feeling.  It  is  the  suppressed  volcano  that  is  danger- 
ous. When  the  eruption  does  take  place,  the  young  man 
will  probably  be  wholly  unprepared  for  it,  and  then  it 
is  almost  sure  to  be  violent  in  the  exact  ratio  of  the  time 
that  it  has  been  smouldering.  There  are  always  a  few 
people  in  every  church  who  will  praise  the  man  of  progres- 
sive or  revolutionary  methods.  These  people  like  excite- 
ment. They  like  novelty.  They  soon  tire  of  sameness. 
They  are  always  ready  for  a  change.  Every  young  pastor 
must  remember  that  a  majority  of  every  congregation  will 
be  found  on  the  side  of  conservatism.  The  masses  in  the 
aggregate  move  slowly.  It  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  bring 
up  the  whole  church  to  even  a  normal,  progressive 
standard,  and  it  sometimes  requires  long  and  patient 
waiting  before  this  can  be  done.  A  pastor  who  has  be- 
come thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  people,  and  also  has 


OF  HOW  TO  ACCEPT  A  PASTORATE  35 

become  permanently  attached  to  them  and  they  to  him, 
may  propose  many  things  that  would  have  been  quickly 
resisted  or,  at  least,  not  approved  if  these  had  been  pro- 
posed at  the  time  he  began  his  ministry.  In  this  matter, 
as  well  as  other  things,  he  must  learn  to  labour  and  to 
wait.  A  reasonable  amount  of  modesty  and  humility  at 
this  particular  point  will  save  a  young  pastor  from  a 
possible  disaster. 

(2)  He  must  enter  upon  his  ministry  with  unwavering 
faith.  While  he  cannot  expect  everything  to  come  to 
him  at  once,  he  should  remember  that  all  things  come  to 
him  who  waits.  To  believe  in  success  is  success  half 
won.  This  faith  must  not  make  him  arrogant  or  self- 
assertive,  but  it  will  make  him  "  strong  in  the  Lord  and 
in  the  power  of  his  might.^'  If  he  does  not  believe  that 
his  ministry  will  be  a  success  he  had  better  give  it  up  at 
once  and  go  somewhere  else,  or  abandon  the  ministry 
entirely.  There  is  no  place  for  halting,  hesitating,  doubt- 
ful servants  of  the  Lord  in  the  great  vineyard  where  self- 
sacrificing  labour  is  the  only  way  to  permanent  success. 

An  earnest  faith  will  give  to  the  minister  cheerfulness, 
and  nothing  is  more  important  in  his  work  than  a  cheery, 
happy  disposition.  Virtues  as  well  as  vices  are  com- 
municative. The  man  who  scatters  sunshine  from  his 
personality  will  find  this  sunshine  reproduced  in  his  con- 
gregation. He  will  feel  its  reflective  influence  upon  his 
own  life,  and  this  of  itself  will  be  a  most  helpful  element 
in  his  pastoral  work. 

(3)  The  wise  beginning  of  a  pastorate  will  often  as- 
sure success  where  there  are  even  almost  insurmountable 
difiieulties  to  overcome.  It  is  said  that  the  first  six  weeks 
of  a  college  student  will  determine  the  character  of  the 
student  for  the  whole  collegiate  course.  Much  more  im- 
portant are  the  first  six  weeks  of  a  new  pastorate.     Noth- 


36  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

ing  should  be  overdone.  Even  the  preaching  need  not  be 
exhaustive  of  the  very  best  sermons  which  the  preacher 
can  command.  Let  him  gauge  well  his  powers,  and  not 
attempt  to  do  at  the  beginning  what  he  cannot  improve 
upon  as  the  weeks  go  by.  Every  succeeding  sermon  ought 
to  be  better  than  the  preceding  one,  if  it  is  possible  to 
make  it  so;  but  no  one  should  depend  upon  a  few  selected 
sermons  to  compensate  for  many  that  are  inferior. 

It  is  well  also  to  remember  that  the  first  year  of  a 
pastorate  is  not  a  very  good  test  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished. There  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  interest 
in  a  new  man  which  will  not  be  felt  after  he  has  remained 
at  a  place  for  about  a  year.  The  old  saying  that  "  a  new 
broom  sweeps  clean  "  has  a  very  practical  application  in 
the  preacher's  life.  For  the  first  year  the  pastor  will  be, 
for  the  most  part,  fresh,  will  not  repeat  himself  very 
often,  and  even  in  his  social  life  he  will  have  certain 
personal  attractions  which  will  somewhat  wear  out  after 
the  people  become  familiar  with  him. 

The  second  year  of  a  pastorate  is  surely  the  crucial 
test.  The  freshness  of  the  man  has  become  somewhat 
worn  and  the  critics  have  now  fairly  intrenched  them- 
selves for  the  chronic  fault-finding  which  belongs  to 
certain  members  in  every  church.  This  fault-finding  will 
at  first  be  whispered,  and  at  most  it  will  find  utter- 
ance in  suppressed  tones.  But  as  soon  as  these  critics 
have  found  enough  sympathisers  for  their  purpose,  open 
opposition  will  begin.  This  second  year  is  generally  the 
wilderness  period  with  every  new  pastorate,  and  during 
this  time,  and  certainly  at  the  end  of  it,  he  will  un- 
doubtedly be  tempted  by  devils,  if  not  by  the  Devil 
himself.  This  second  year  will  test  the  quality  of  the 
man,  and  if  he  goes  through  it  without  the  loss  of  pres- 
tige,  his  third  year  will  be  much  easier  for  him,  though 


OF  HOW  TO  ACCEPT  A  PASTORATE  37 

he  does  not  pass  the  danger  point  until  he  has  gone  a 
little  further.  If  he  has  still  maintained  his  grounds, 
his  fourth  year  will  be  much  easier  than  any  that 
have  preceded.  By  the  time  he  has  entered  his  fifth  year 
he  can  be  sure  of  his  place,  if  he  wants  to  hold  it, 
and  generally  this  is  the  wisest  thing  for  him  to  do. 
Short  pastorates  are  for  the  most  part  a  bad  thing  for 
both  the  preacher  and  the  people.  Nevertheless,  a  short 
pastorate  is  better  than  a  long  pastorate  which  offers 
no  prospect  of  worthy  success.  A  protracted  failure  is 
always  worse  than  a  short  failure.  If  you  cannot  get  on 
at  a  place,  quit;  that  is  the  best  way  out  of  the  difficulty; 
but  if  you  have  got  on  fairly  well  for  four  years  you  will 
generally  stay  as  long  as  you  please,  provided  you  act 
wisely  and  well. 

The  length  of  a  pastorate  must,  therefore,  depend  upon 
the  circumstances.  Some  pastorates  are  like  sermons: 
they  are  very  long,  even  when  they  are  short,  while  others 
are  very  short,  even  when  they  are  long. 

But  in  any  case  it  is  evident  that  the  manner  of  be- 
ginning a  pastorate  is  most  important,  and  nothing  is 
perhaps  more  important  in  this  beginning  than  the  exer- 
cise of  patience  while  adjusting  one's  self  to  the  new 
conditions,  and  while  the  people  are  becoming  accustomed 
to  the  new  voice  and  the  new  life. 


m 

THE    PEOBLEM    OF    A    LIBRARY 

It  has  been  truly  said  that  "next  to  acquiring  good 
friends,  the  best  acquisition  is  that  of  good  books."  A 
preacher  should  have  a  well-selected  library.  This  is 
absolutely  essential  in  order  to  any  worthy  success.  A 
carpenter  cannot  do  his  work  without  tools;  neither  can 
a  preacher  do  his  work  without  books.  They  are  in  a 
large  sense  his  tools,  and  if  used  wisely  they  will  help 
him  to  build  his  own  character  as  well  as  the  characters 
of  others. 

But  there  are  books  and  books.  A  large  library  may 
be  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  help.  Of  making  many 
books  there  is  no  end,  and  when  one  has  to  look  through 
five  or  ten  thousand  volumes  before  he  can  find  what  he 
wants,  the  time  occupied  may  be  worth  more  than  the 
book  he  is  hunting  for,  even  after  it  is  found.  A  library 
should  be  well-selected,  containing  just  enough  books  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  owner;  and  then  it  should  be  so 
classified  and  arranged,  and  the  owner  should  be  so  famil- 
iar with  every  book  and  the  place  it  occupies  on  his  shelf, 
that  he  can  find  it  at  a  moment's  notice. 

Some  preachers  have  an  abnormal  taste  for  accumulat- 
ing books.  They  seem  to  think  that  a  large  library  is  a 
proof  of  wide  reading,  but  this  last  does  not  follow. 
Some  men  put  books  upon  their  shelves  to  look  at,  and 
really  very  rarely  use  them.  As  some  one  has  truly 
remarked,  "  the  quantity  of  books  in  a  library  is  often 
a  cloud  of  witnesses  to  the  ignorance  of  the  owner."    "  Be- 

38 


OF   A   LIBRARY  39 

ware  of  the  man  with  one  book  "  has  special  significance 
while  studying  the  make-up  of  a  preacher's  library.  As 
a  rule,  he  has  no  money  to  spend  on  books  that  are  simply 
for  show,  and  consequently  he  ought,  as  a  matter  of 
economy,  to  keep  his  library  in  reasonable  bounds.  Even 
if  he  should  be  an  omnivorous  reader  it  may  be  all  the 
worse  for  him  to  possess  a  large  library.  Too  much  mis- 
cellaneous reading  is  often  a  disadvantage,  just  as  too 
much  food  may  be  disastrous  to  good  health.  Assimilation 
of  food  for  the  mind  is  just  as  necessary  as  assimilation  of 
food  for  the  body;  and  as  the  most  commonplace  wisdom 
suggests  a  wise  selection  of  food  for  the  body,  it  certainly 
will  not  be  denied  that  the  same  care  should  be  exercised 
with  respect  to  food  for  the  mind.  A  preacher  certainly 
has  no  right  to  dissipate  in  his  reading  any  more  than  in 
his  eating  and  drinking. 

I  do  not  mean  by  all  this  caution  that  the  preacher  may 
not  have  even  a  large  library.  Much  depends  upon  his 
needs,  and  the  means  he  possesses  to  procure  what  he 
needs.  He  certainly  must  have  a  reasonably  large  library 
if  he  would  reach  the  highest  point  of  usefulness.  This 
is  the  age  of  book-making  and  literary  activity,  though  it 
may  be  fairly  questioned  whether  the  quality  keeps  pace 
with  the  quantity.  The  press  has  become  a  powerful 
engine  for  either  good  or  evil,  and  in  view  of  this  fact 
it  is  necessary  for  a  wide-awake  preacher  to  keep  himself 
fairly  well  acquainted  with  the  books  and  periodicals  that 
are  influencing  the  age  in  which  he  lives.  A  few  sugges- 
tions with  respect  to  a  library  equipment  may  be  helpful 
at  this  point. 

(1)  The  preacher  should,  first  of  all,  secure  and  read 
carefully  the  leading  books  by  the  leading  men  of  his  own 
denomination.  He  should,  also,  take  a  few,  if  not  all,  of 
the  papers  and  periodicals  published  by  his  brethren.   This 


40  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

much  is  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  keep  in  touch 
with  his  own  people  so  that  he  may  understand  their 
needs,  their  growth  and  also  keep  in  sympathy  with  their 
men  and  measures.  A  preacher  can  practically  lose  him- 
self to  the  brotherhood  with  whom  he  is  associated  by 
simply  ignoring  their  books  and  periodicals.  But  this 
is  not  the  worst  of  it.  He  will  probably  drift  from  his 
religious  mooring,  and  may  ultimately  find  himself  wholly 
or  partially  out  of  sympathy  with  the  principles  and  aims 
of  the  people  with  whom  he  is  religiously  associated. 

This  I  regard  as  a  very  important  matter,  and  conse- 
quently I  desire  to  emphasise  it  with  all  the  power  I 
possess.  The  habit  of  ignoring  home  industry  is  not  at 
all  confined  to  the  religious  world.  In  commercial  mat- 
ters this  habit  is  very  pronounced.  The  average  American 
will  pay  ten  or  even  twenty  per  cent,  extra  for  foreign- 
manufactured  goods  rather  than  use  goods  manufactured 
at  home,  though  the  latter  may  be  really  worth  more 
than  the  former.  Indeed,  this  is  so  much  the  case  that 
I  have  been  told  by  American  manufacturers  that  they  are 
compelled  sometimes  to  invent  a  foreign  firm  name  to  put 
on  their  goods  so  as  to  make  them  marketable  at  all. 

The  same  is  true  with  respect  to  foreign  books,  or  books 
produced  by  writers  outside  of  our  own  religious  associa- 
tions. Our  preachers  will  read  and  heartily  recommend 
books  written  by  men  in  France,  Germany,  or  England, 
who  have  scarcely  ever  had  a  glimpse  of  the  religion  of 
Christ,  as  we  see  it  in  this  country,  while  books  far  in 
advance  of  these,  produced  by  our  own  men,  are  left  to 
mould  upon  the  shelves  of  publishing  houses  instead  of 
being  constantly  used  in  preachers'  libraries.  What  do 
Germans,  Frenchmen,  and  even  Englishmen  know  about 
the  religious  movements,  the  religious  principles,  and  the 
religious  methods  which  characterise  our  American  devel- 


OF  A   LIBRARY  41 

opment?  It  is  probable  that  in  some  fields  of  purely 
literary  criticism  and  archaeological  investigation  our 
European  writers  excel  even  our  best  scholars  in  this 
country;  but  this  is  only  one  side  of  a  very  large  field 
which  the  preacher  has  to  cultivate.  Indeed,  as  a  rule, 
he  need  not  trouble  himself  very  much  about  the  purely 
critical  books  in  which  the  Germans,  Frenchmen,  and 
Englishmen  excel.  If  the  preacher  is  a  specialist  it  may 
be  well  for  him  to  avail  himself  of  whatever  will  help 
him  in  his  special  studies,  but  the  preacher  should  be 
very  careful  how  he  becomes  a  specialist,  for  necessarily 
he  ought  to  have  an  all-round  education  rather  than  that 
which  is  confined  to  one  or  two  things. 

(2)  I  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood  with  respect  to 
the  matter  of  foreign  books.  Some  most  excellent  works 
have  been  produced  by  German,  French,  and  English 
writers,  and  these  should  be  secured  and  carefully  read, 
as  far  as  may  be  consistent  with  the  aims  and  opportuni- 
ties of  the  twentieth  century  preacher.  Nor  should  a 
preacher  entirely  neglect  to  read  the  works  of  leading  men 
of  other  religious  bodies.  A  man  who  confines  himself 
to  only  such  books  as  are  produced  by  his  own  denomina- 
tion will  most  probably  become  narrow  in  his  religious 
views,  if  not  sectarian  and  bigoted.  Every  preacher  needs 
a  broadening  process  which  comes  through  the  reading  of 
books  which  are  written  in  a  different  religious  atmos- 
phere from  the  one  he  has  chiefly  occupied.  There  are 
also  a  large  number  of  useful  books  occupying  purely 
practical  lines  which  may  be  of  great  service  to  the  min- 
ister of  the  gospel  in  his  weekly  ministrations.  But,  after 
all,  the  most  useful  preacher  will  probably  be  the  man 
whose  library  is  not  very  extensive,  but  which  has  been 
selected  with  great  care  and  with  a  special  view  to  prac- 
tical needs.    In  such  a  library  will  be  found  the  leading 


42  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

poets,  a  few,  but  very  few,  of  the  best  commentaries;  also, 
a  well-selected  series  of  church  histories.  Neander's  is  the 
best,  though  this  is  somewhat  heavy  reading  and  will 
probably  not  be  enjoyed.  But  church  history  ought  to 
be  studied  carefully  by  any  preacher  of  the  gospel  who 
assumes  to  be  a  leader  of  religious  men.  Second  only  to 
this  is  general  history.  A  preacher  ought  to  make  histori- 
cal studies  a  specialty.  Facts  are  said  to  be  stubborn 
things,  and  the  preacher  ought,  for  the  most  part,  to  deal 
with  facts.  These  should  furnish  him  with  the  warp  and 
woof  of  his  sermons.  But  he  cannot  find  his  facts  if 
he  ignores  history.  He  may  let  the  dead  past  bury  its 
dead,  but  he  must  use  the  lessons  of  the  past  if  he  desires 
to  be  wise  in  the  present,  and  prepared  for  the  future. 
Books  of  sermons,  as  a  rule,  should  be  given  a  wide  berth. 
They  are,  for  the  most  part,  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  skeleton  sermons.  At  most,  these 
are  makeshifts  which  serve  to  supplement  laziness.  Let 
the  preacher  dig  out  of  the  Scriptures,  his  own  experience 
and  the  experience  of  others,  as  he  shall  find  that  recorded 
in  history,  and  he  can  then  make  all  the  sermons  he  needs, 
and  these  sermons  will  be  worth  something  to  hear.  If 
he  cannot  do  this  he  had  better  give  up  the  ministry  and 
go  to  ploughing  corn. 

(3)  Should  he  have,  in  his  library,  any  novels?  I  an- 
swer this  by  saying  both  yes  and  no.  If  the  question  is  con- 
fined to  the  best  classic  novels,  such  as  the  best  of  Dickens, 
the  best  of  Scott,  the  best  of  Thackeray,  the  best  of  George 
Eliot,  the  best  of  Cooper,  the  best  of  Hawthorne,  etc., 
etc.,  I  would  say  yes.  Let  him  have  these  and  read  them 
occasionally,  for  they  will  be  interesting  to  him,  and  will 
probably  benefit  his  preaching.  He  may,  also,  read  the 
best  of  Victor  Hugo  and  the  best  of  Tolstoy,  if  he  can 
stand  strong  meat  and  digest  somewhat  heavy  food.    But 


OF   A   LIBRARY  43 

most  of  the  modern  novels  which  are  written  for  popular 
use,  and  are  valued  and  measured  by  the  number  of  copies 
called  for  in  the  libraries  or  sold  by  the  publishers  and 
book-sellers,  should  have  -no  place  in  either  a  preacher's 
library  or  in  his  time  devoted  to  personal  culture.  These 
novels  are  not  worth  the  place  they  would  occupy  upon 
the  shelves  of  his  library.  They  are  simply  trash,  and 
their  only  possible  value  is  in  enabling  the  reader  to  kill 
time,  and  this  is  certainly  a  very  unworthy  way  to  dis- 
pose of  one  of  the  most  precious  things  God  has  given 
us.    Time  is  a  jewel,  and  it  ought  not  to  be  wasted. 

Speaking  broadly,  a  preacher  will  usually  work  out  the 
problem  of  his  own  library  somewhat  gradually.  He  will 
probably  not  be  long  in  finding  the  books  which  he  actu- 
ally needs,  and  consequently  these  suggestions  can  only  be 
of  limited  value.  However,  it  is  believed  that  the  general 
instruction  already  intimated  will  be  of  considerable  serv- 
ice in  helping  most  preachers  to  provide  for  their  library 
equipment,  and  this  is  all  that  ought  to  be  expected  from 
a  treatment  which  must  necessarily  be  far  from  exhaustive. 

I  cannot  close  this  consideration  of  an  important  sub- 
ject better  than  to  use  the  words  of  Emerson :  "  Books  are 
the  best  of  things,  well  used;  abused,  among  the  worst. 
What  is  the  right  use?  What  is  the  one  end  which  all 
means  go  to  effect?  They  are  for  nothing  but  to  inspire. 
I  had  better  never  see  a  book  than  to  be  warped  by  its 
attractions  clean  out  of  my  own  orbit,  and  made  a  satellite 
instead  of  a  system." 


THE    PEOBLEM    OF    THE    SERMON 

The  sermon  is  the  preacher's  chief  instrumentality  in 
exerting  influence  upon  the  people.  Without  this  he  is 
little  more  than  any  other  member  of  the  church.  Other 
things  may  be,  but  the  sermon  must  be,  and  should  be 
constructed  and  delivered  with  a  view  to  the  highest  pos- 
sible immediate  eflSciency.  No  doubt  good  results  may 
follow  after  a  considerable  lapse  of  time.  However,  no 
preaching,  worthy  of  the  name,  ought  to  wait  for  results 
in  the  future,  but  should  have  results  follow  at  once,  and 
where  this  is  not  the  case,  the  preacher  may  well  question 
his  methods  or  his  ability  to  make  his  sermons  effective. 
Iron  must  be  welded  while  it  is  hot,  and  definite  results 
must  be  obtained  immediately  following  the  delivery  of 
sermons. 

This  leads  me  to  say  that  the  sermon  should  have  spe- 
cially that  end  in  view.  It  may  be  that  too  much  heat  will, 
to  some  extent  at  least,  affect  the  literary  structure  of  the 
sermon.  But  this  need  not  give  the  true  preacher  any 
concern  whatever.  As  a  rule,  it  may  be  stated,  with 
emphasis,  that  a  sermon  which  is  fit  to  be  preached  is  not 
fit  to  be  published,  and  one  that  is  fit  to  be  published  is 
not  fit  to  be  preached.  Some  one  came  to  Mr.  Spurgeon 
and  told  him  that  he  was  much  discouraged  because  he 
had  no  converts  resulting  from  his  preaching.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon asked  him  if  he  always  expected  converts.  The 
preacher  answered  by  saying  that  he  seldom  expected  them 
at  all.  "  Very  well,"  said  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "  with  that  state 
of  mind  you  may  be  sure  that  you  will  have  no  converts." 

44 


OF   THE    SERMON  45 

It  is  the  man  who  has  faith  in  results  that  will  have 
results.  It  is  seldom  one  is  disappointed  in  receiving 
more  than  he  really  expects.  Disappointments  come  the 
other  way.  Our  expectations  are  often  not  realised,  but 
this  is  frequently  owing  to  the  fact  that  we  only  half 
believe  in  the  work  we  are  doing.  He  who  preaches  for 
immediate  results  will  carefully  study  how  to  obtain  them, 
and  his  sermons  will  be  full  of  a  present  salvation. 

I  know  of  no  greater  drawback  to  a  successful  ministry 
than  the  infidelity  of  the  pulpit;  and  this  prevails  to  a 
much  larger  extent  than  is  dreamed  of  by  most  people. 
Many  sermons  are  prepared  and  preached  as  little  more 
than  experiments.  Perhaps  what  is  said  may  do  some 
good,  but  no  matter  whether  it  does  or  not,  the  duty  of 
delivering  the  message  is  discharged,  and,  therefore,  the 
conscience  of  the  preacher  is  not  disturbed.  This  half- 
heartedness  is  the  parent  of  nine-tenths  of  the  failures  of 
the  modern  pulpit.  To  believe  in  success  is  the  only  road 
to  success,  and  this  is  especially  true  of  the  proclamation 
of  the  Gospel.  Why  should  any  one  doubt  its  efficiency? 
Is  it  not  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that 
believeth?  Surely  the  minister  of  the  Gospel  has  no 
reason  whatever  to  suppose  that  souls  will  not  be  converted 
any  time  he  proclaims  faithfully  the  message  he  has  to 
deliver. 

I  cannot  emphasise  this  matter  too  much.  The  keynote 
of  every  sermon  should  be  salvation.  This  is  precisely 
what  the  Gospel  is  for,  and  no  man  is  fit  to  proclaim  it 
who  does  not  believe  with  his  whole  soul  that  the  message, 
when  faithfully  delivered,  will  be  immediately  effective. 
Nothing  characterised  the  preaching  of  the  Apostles  more 
distinctly  than  the  fact  that  they  had  unbounded  faith 
in  immediate  results  from  the  proclamation  of  their  mes- 
sage.   Nor  were  they  very  often  disappointed.    Very  gen- 


46  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

erally  they  had  reason  to  rejoice  in  the  same  day,  or 
same  hour  of  the  night;  but  the  Apostles  were  prac- 
tically on  fire.  They  preached  with  an  enthusiasm 
which  was  really  irresistible.  They  moved  upon  men  with 
no  thought  of  being  defeated.  Their  whole  aim  was  vic- 
tory, and  this  victory  was  nearly  always  achieved. 

Another  important  matter  is  the  text  of  the  sermon. 
The  formality  of  using  a  text  might  probably  be  dismissed 
from  the  modern  pulpit  with  good  results.  It  is  possible 
that  the  place  of  the  text  might  be  filled  with  something 
much  less  objectionable.  But,  however  this  may  be,  when 
a  text  is  selected  the  sermon  ought  to  grow  naturally  out 
of  this  text.  In  much  of  the  preaching  of  the  present 
time  the  text  is  tacked  on  to  the  sermon  rather  than  the 
sermon  to  the  text.  But  there  ought  not  to  be  any  tacking 
on  of  any  kind  whatever.  The  sermon  ought  to  grow  out 
of  the  text  as  a  tree  grows  from  its  seed.  The  text  is  the 
seed,  and  from  this  the  tree  must  be  produced.  It  should 
have  trunk,  branches,  and  the  leaves,  and  in  some  cases  it 
should  have  flowers.  But  everything  on  the  tree  should 
be  of  the  same  kind  as  the  text.  Men  do  not  gather 
grapes  of  thorns  or  figs  of  thistles.  Everything  produces 
after  its  kind. 

The  true  sermon  may  be  likened  to  a  tune  on  which  is 
written  variations.  I  once  heard  the  great  pianist  and 
composer,  Thalberg,  play  his  "Home,  Sweet  Home" 
with  variations.  The  effect  was  truly  wonderful.  While 
the  variations  gave  variety  and  opportunity  for  the  dis- 
play of  his  marvellous  fingering,  the  tune  itself  was  never 
lost  at  any  time  during  the  performance.  From  beginning 
to  end  the  ear  could  detect  the  movement  of  that  sweetest 
of  melodies,  "  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  though  covered  with 
a  shower  of  brilliant  and  effective  variations. 

So  I  think  it  must  be  with  the  sermon.    Whatever  form 


OF  THE   SERMON  47 

the  variations  may  take  there  must  be  the  steady,  un- 
broken meaning  of  the  text  running  through  the  sermon 
from  beginning  to  end.  This  will  help  the  thinking  of 
the  preacher,  and  will  also  intensify  the  memory  of  the 
hearer. 

Of  course  this  all  means  that  the  preaching  should 
mainly  be  expository  in  its  character.  Keally  no  preach- 
ing is  worth  very  much  that  is  not  expository.  Topical 
preaching  may  be  well  enough  now  and  then,  but  the 
staple  preaching  of  any  permanently  successful  ministry 
must  be,  in  the  first  place,  biblical;  secondly,  expository, 
and  thirdly,  practical.  These  three  elements  must  be 
prominent  in  any  sermons  that  will  result  in  much  good. 
In  these  days  there  is  a  great  temptation  to  the  city 
preacher  to  make .  his  sermons  suitable  for  the  Monday 
morning  paper  rather  than  his  Sunday  audience.  Indeed, 
he  frequently  preaches  to  the  press  rather  than  to  the 
people.  He  seeks  to  have  something  sensational,  or  at 
least  interesting,  for  the  reporter;  but  this  often  fails  to 
help  his  hearers.  There  is  nothing  in  which  preachers 
make  a  greater  mistake  than  in  supposing  that  the  sensa- 
tional topics  of  the  week  may  be  reproduced  in  the  pulpit 
on  Sunday.  This  is  like  trying  to  make  good  coffee  out 
of  the  old  coffee  grounds  that  have  already  served  their 
purpose.  As  a  rule  people  do  not  go  to  church  on  Sunday 
to  hear  a  rehash  of  the  week's  topics.  They  go  to  church 
for  rest  from  the  very  thing  that  some  preachers  think 
should  be  retold  with  pulpit  variations.  The  people  want 
help,  spiritual  help,  and  not  this  overdose  of  secularism 
with  a  little  religious  sweetening  in  it  to  give  it  a  sort  of 
Sunday  flavour.  The  people  want  something  that  will  rest 
their  weary  souls,  that  will  lift  them  out  of  the  struggles  of 
the  past  week  and  give  them  courage  for  the  oncoming 
battles. 


48  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Nothing  will  do  this  so  well  as  biblical  preaching.  The 
Bible  furnishes  the  very  best  help  that  can  be  found  any- 
where for  weary,  struggling  souls.  To  these  its  teaching 
is  as  sweet  as  honey  in  the  honeycomb.  But  the  teaching 
of  the  Scripture  must  be  made  clear  to  the  audience.  Pro- 
found preaching  is  always  characterised  by  lucidity  of 
statement  and  felicity  of  expression.  Muddy  water  hides 
the  shallowness  of  the  stream.  Clear  water  reveals  its 
depth.  When  Nehemiah  and  his  co-labourers  had  finished 
repairing  the  wall  around  Jerusalem,  Ezra  stood  upon  a 
pulpit  of  wood,  the  first  mention  of  pulpit  to  be  found 
anywhere  in  history,  and  "  read  from  the  book  of  the  law 
of  God,  distinctly  and  gave  the  sense,  and  caused  them 
to  understand  the  meaning.^^  This  is  precisely  what  every 
faithful  preacher  should  do.  He  should  give  the  sense 
and  cause  his  audience  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
Scriptures.  Any  preaching  that  does  not  accomplish  this 
much  must  be  of  little  permanent  value.  It  may  produce 
a  temporary  interest,  and  it  may  even  be  highly  enter- 
taining to  an  audience,  but  it  will  never  penetrate  to  the 
conscience  and  stimulate  the  people  to  a  higher  and  better 
life.  As  has  already  been  intimated,  preaching  must  have 
a  certain  definite  aim  in  view.  That  aim  should  always 
be  the  formation  of  true  character.  This  character  must 
begin  in  conversion  and  then  be  built  up  and  perfected 
through  careful  training  in  the  church.  This  training 
in  the  church  cannot  be  accomplished  unless  the  converts 
are  fed  upon  the  "unadulterated  milk  of  the  Word  that 
they  may  grow  thereby." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  all  the  great  preachers  of  all  ages 
of  the  church  have  been  expository  preachers.  There  is 
scarcely  an  exception  to  this  statement.  It  is  true  that 
here  and  there  may  be  found  some  brilliant  pulpit  orator 
who,  in  his  time,  swayed  multitudes  by  a  sort  of  mar- 


OF   THE    SERMON  49 

vellous  word  painting  and  exceptional  eloquence  in  his 
pulpit  minstrations ;  but  these  preachers,  though  few  in 
number,  may  be  counted  still  less  in  their  permanent  influ- 
ence on  the  world.  They  are  pulpit  comets,  apparently 
outside  the  ordinary  systems  where  there  is  law  and  order. 
Hence  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  only  the  biblical 
and  expository  preacher  can  build  up  an  influence  that 
will  have  lasting  results. 

It  is  freely  admitted  that  the  temptation  to  turn  away 
from  this  somewhat  beaten  path  is  great  in  this  twentieth 
century.  We  are  told  that  preaching  must  be  up  to  date, 
that  it  must  deal  with  living  things,  that  it  must  be  fully 
abreast  of  the  times,  and  that  the  people  will  not  listen 
to  the  old  stereotyped  doctrines  of  the  creed.  All  this 
may  be  true.  But  what  do  we  mean  by  being  up  to  date  ? 
by  living  things?  what  are  we  to  understand  by  being 
abreast  of  the  times?  Is  the  Word  of  God  no  longer  in 
touch  with  the  days  in  which  we  live?  Has  this  word 
lost  its  power,  its  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  the  people? 
Must  it  henceforth  be  regarded  as  "  a  back  number,"  and 
consequently  something  else  must  be  substituted  for  it? 
This  is  certainly  what  seems  to  be  implied  in  the  notion 
that  the  sermon  must,  in  some  fashion,  get  away  from  the 
Bible  in  order  to  be  helpful  to  our  modern  life.  Now  this 
is  precisely  the  rock  on  which  much  of  our  modern  preach- 
ing is  wrecked.  In  getting  away  from  Scylla  it  is  stranded 
on  Charybdis. 

The  sermon  should  not  have  too  much  drapery  around 
it.  We  should  remember  that  beauty  unadorned  is  adorned 
the  most.  There  are  two  kinds  of  eloquence  which  may 
be  respectively  named:  moonshine  eloquence  and  sunshine 
eloquence.  If  we  go  out  into  the  fields  and  woods,  or 
along  the  river's  meandering  course,  when  the  moon  is 
shining  brightly,  we  usually  say  how  beautiful  is  the 


50  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

moonshine!  but  rarely  comment  enthusiastically  upon 
anything  else  in  nature  that  is  revealed  to  us.  But  when 
we  go  out  into  the  same  places,  when  the  sun  is  shining, 
we  never  comment  upon  the  sun,  but  upon  the  beauties 
of  nature  which  this  sun  reveals  to  us.  We  now  say  how 
beautiful  are  the  fields,  woods,  and  the  river.  Precisely 
so  it  is  with  eloquence.  True  eloquence  does  not  reveal 
itself  to  us,  as  the  moonshine  does,  but  reveals  the  things 
which  its  light  exposes,  as  the  sunshine  does. 

It  is  almost  useless  to  discuss  the  question  as  to  whether 
a  sermon  should  be  written  or  delivered  extemporaneously. 
The  final  decision  of  this  matter  depends  upon  so  many 
contingencies  that  no  one  can  determine  beforehand  just 
what  ought  to  be  done  in  a  given  case.  Some  preachers 
may  do  better  with  a  written  sermon,  though  as  a  rule 
it  is  well  to  cultivate  the  extemporaneous  habit.  It  is 
far  easier  to  quit  it  than  to  take  it  up  and  succeed  without 
any  practice.  Of  one  thing  every  preacher  may  rest 
assured,  and  that  is  that  he  cannot  succeed  with  extempo- 
raneous preaching  without  a  great  deal  of  practice.  Some 
men  will  never  succeed  with  it  no  matter  how  much  they 
practise.  They  are  capable  of  writing  a  good  sermon,  but 
when  they  leave  their  manuscript  they  are  irretrievably 
lost.  In  such  cases  it  is  better  to  write  and  read.  Indeed, 
if  one  writes  at  all  it  is  generally  better  to  read  than  to 
commit  to  memory  and  then  attempt  to  declaim  the  ser- 
mon as  it  is  written.  Of  the  three  methods,  viz.,  reading, 
extemporaneous,  and  repeating  from  memory,  the  last  is 
to  be  least  commended.  Very  few,  if  any,  can  make  such 
sermons  deeply  effective.  It  is  possible  for  a  preacher 
to  write  certain  passages  and  then  commit  these  to  mem- 
ory, and  deliver  them  as  parts  of  a  practically  extempora- 
neous address.  But  even  this  is  somewhat  hazardous 
unless  the  preacher  has  an  aptness  for  introducing  quota- 


OF  THE   SERMON  51 

tions  from  memory  at  exactly  the  right  time  and  place. 
When  this  is  well  done  it  will  give  power  and  literary 
finish  to  an  extemporaneous  sermon,  but  if  the  audience 
can  see  where  the  piece  is  tacked  on  it  will  at  once  appear 
as  old  cloth  on  a  new  garment,  and  will  consequently  dis- 
figure the  sermon  rather  than  beautify  it. 

Of  course  the  delivery  of  the  sermon  is  a  great  matter. 
A  sermon  may  be  perfect  so  far  as  its  literary  and  biblical 
composition  is  concerned,  and  yet  it  may  produce  little 
or  no  effect  upon  the  audience,  simply  because  it  is  not 
delivered  with  the  earnestness  and  unction  which  are 
necessary  in  order  to  produce  good  results.  No  wonder 
a  celebrated  actor  once  said  to  an  equally  celebrated 
preacher  that  the  preacher  failed  largely  in  his  message 
because  he  delivered  fact  as  if  it  was  fiction,  while  the 
actor  delivered  fiction  as  if  it  was  fact. 

Doubtless  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  assume  earnest- 
ness in  a  perfunctory  manner.  Probably  he  can  practise 
the  art  of  delivery  until  he  can  cover  up  his  deception  to 
a  very  considerable  extent.  But  I  doubt  if  he  can  do  it 
entirely.  There  will  usually  be  the  ears  of  the  animal 
protruding  even  if  the  body  is  entirely  covered  by  a  pol- 
ished rhetoric  and  a  vigorous  elocution.  If,  however,  he 
can  have  both  of  these  along  with  an  intense  earnestness 
which  is  born  of  sincerity  and  a  longing  desire  for  souls, 
then  the  delivery  of  the  sermon  will  always  be  a  powerful 
factor  in  the  ministry  of  that  preacher. 

Can  anything  be  gained  by  study  and  careful  attention 
in  the  matter  of  delivery?  Undoubtedly  much  may  be 
gained.  Eemember  the  story  of  Demosthenes,  how  he 
overcame  a  diflBculty  in  his  voice  as  well  as  in  his  gestures. 
Long  and  patient  practice  will  do  much  in  this  respect  as 
well  as  in  other  things.  It  is  always  true  that  practice 
makes  perfect. 


52  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

.  Let  no  one,  therefore,  despair  of  attaining  to  an  impres- 
sive delivery  of  his  sermons.  Of  course  a  good  voice,  to 
begin  with,  is  a  wonderful  advantage.  But  a  good  voice 
may  be  abused  until  it  becomes  a  hindrance  rather  than 
a  help,  while  a  bad  voice  may  be  improved  until  it  will 
work  wonders,  where  once  it  was  simply  a  distasteful 
discord.  If  you  have  gifts,  young  men,  try  to  improve 
them;  if  you  have  faults  try  to  correct  them;  if  you  are 
entirely  deficient  in  certain  things  try  to  supply  the  defi- 
ciency by  bringing  into  activity  some  superfluous  power 
which  you  have  stored  away  in  some  other  place.  This 
is  precisely  what  is  done  by  nature,  and  preaching,  after  all, 
is  most  effective  when  it  is  natural.  If  one  sense  is  lost 
the  other  senses  become  more  acute,  and  thus  to  a  certain 
extent  make  up  for  the  deficiency.  This  may  be  done 
in  the  matter  of  preaching,  until  by  careful  training  and 
sensible  economy  of  forces  nearly  all  defects  will  vanish, 
while  the  very  best  results  may  be  obtained. 

In  view  of  what  has  already  been  said,  is  it  possible  to 
formulate  definitely  some  characteristics  of  the  sermon 
which  must  be  more  or  less  present  in  every  effective 
deliverance  from  the  pulpit  ?  I  think  we  are  now  prepared 
to  insist  upon  at  least  the  following : 

(1)  The  sermon  must  be  eminently  biblical.  It  must 
draw  its  inspiration  from  the  Word  of  God.  Though  it  fail 
in  everything  else,  this  characteristic  must  be  present,  or 
else  it  is  not  entitled  to  be  called  a  sermon  at  all. 

(2)  The  sermon  must  grow  naturally  out  of  the  text. 
Usually  it  ought  to  consist  of  not  more  than  three  general 
divisions,  though  this  plan  need  not  be  always  adhered  to 
strictly.  The  main  thing  is  to  make  the  sermon  corre- 
spond to  the  thought  in  the  text. 

(3)  The  sermon  may  be  diversified,  but  it  must  never 
lose  vvhat  has  been  called  "the  thread  of  the  discourse." 


OF   THE    SERMON  53 

"  Home,  Sweet  Home "  must  throb  and  sound  through 
every  movement  of  the  tongue  in  deliverance,  but  the 
variations  may  be  made  ad  libitum,  provided  these  varia- 
tions add  either  beauty  to  the  diction  or  impressiveness 
to  the  thought.  Sometimes  they  may  be  admissible  simply 
for  the  purpose  of  resting  the  mind  from  a  severe  strain 
while  the  preacher  is  struggling  with  the  main  contention. 
Variety  is  not  only  the  spice  of  life,  but  it  may  frequently 
be  the  spice  of  the  sermon;  but  this  variety  should  never 
be  allowed  to  divert  the  attention  from  or  deteriorate 
the  predominant  thought  of  the  sermon. 

(4)  The  sermon  should  appeal  to  the  experience  of 
the  people.  Indeed,  it  should  be  forged  out  of  the  hot 
furnace  of  everyday  life.  The  preacher  should  know  the 
needs  of  his  people,  and  he  should  preach  out  of  these 
needs  to  these  needs.  Frequent  contact  with  his  people 
will  help  him  very  much  in  this  matter. 

(5)  The  sermon  itself  should  be  red-hot.  If  composed 
in  the  study  every  sentence  should  carry  with  it  the 
impress  of  divine  companionship.  Sermons  that  come 
out  of  seasons  of  prayer  will  bring  forth  fruit  in  almost 
any  climate.  But  purely  intellectual  compositions,  with- 
out the  warmth  which  comes  only  by  personal  contact 
with  God,  cannot  be  specially  effective  in  the  conversion 
or  edification  of  souls. 

(6)  The  sermon  must  be  simple  in  its  diction,  clear  in 
its  statements,  forcible  and  impassioned  in  its  delivery. 
Cold  steel  may  do  for  soldiers  in  battle,  but  nothing  cold 
will  do  for  an  effective  sermon.  The  human  heart  may 
be  melted  until  it  will  follow  wheresoever  it  is  led,  but 
it  can  never  be  completely  subdued  by  forcible  means. 
Jesus  said,  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  wiU  draw 
aU  men  unto  me."  The  sermon  must  use  the  cross  as 
the  magnet  with  which  to  draw  souls  to  Christ. 


54  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

(7)  Every  sermon  should  have  immediate  results  as 
the  end  to  be  achieved.  The  preacher  should  deliver 
his  message  as  if  it  were  the  last  time  he  may  ever 
preach,  and  he  should  in  some  way  make  his  hearers  feel 
that  this  is  the  last  time  they  may  ever  hear  a  sermon. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  tell  them  this.  Probably  the  telling 
may  have  just  the  opposite  effect  upon  the  people.  They 
will  begin  to  speculate  as  to  the  probability  of  such  an 
assertion  becoming  true,  and  in  any  case  they  will  begin 
to  make  excuses  within  themselves  for  putting  off  the 
matter  of  decision  to  some  future  time.  Never  raise  a 
discussion  of  this  kind  within  the  soul  of  any  one  if  it 
can  possibly  be  avoided;  and  it  may  be  avoided,  if  the 
preacher  martials  all  his  forces,  without  revealing  his 
strategy,  and  brings  them  to  bear  upon  the  one  great  object 
of  preaching,  and  that  is  IMMEDIATE  DECISION. 


VII 

THE    PROBLEM    OP    VISITING 

With  respect  to  this  matter  no  hard  and  fast  lines  can 
be  laid  down.  Like  many  other  things  in  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  much  must  be  determined  by  temperament, 
environment,  and  opportunity.  There  is  one  word  which 
governs  the  whole  ground,  and  that  word  is  personality. 
The  preacher  must  have  an  influential  personality,  if  he 
hopes  to  accomplish  an3rthing  worthy  of  the  name;  and 
when  this  personality  is  assured,  he  must  seek  to  exert 
it  in  the  best  way  he  can  in  order  to  the  accomplishment 
of  his  work. 

Speaking  broadly,  he  cannot  allow  any  visiting  to  inter- 
fere with  the  preparation  of  his  sermons.  He  must  have 
time  for  quiet  study,  for  secret  communion  with  God,  for 
devout  meditation,  for  earnest  and  importunate  prayer. 
He  dare  not  give  his  whole  time  to  visiting  his  flock,  no 
matter  how  much  he  may  accomplish  in  that  way.  The 
preacher^s  first  duty  is  to  his  public  discourses.  If  these 
are  weak,  his  whole  ministry  will  be  correspondingly  weak ; 
if  these  are  strong,  much  can  be  forgiven  of  neglect  in 
other  respects.  But  if  the  preacher's  pulpit  work  is  de- 
fective, if  it  is  apparent  he  is  neglecting  his  studies,  if  his 
sermons  show  evidence  of  carelessness  in  their  preparation, 
and  if  the  delivery  of  these  sermons  reveals  the  fact  that 
they  have  not  been  burnt  into  his  soul  by  the  fires  of 
enthusiasm,  then  it  is  certain  that  he  will  fail  in  a  large 
degree  to  meet  the  actual  needs  of  his  congregation,  no 
matter  how  many  other  things  there  may  be  in  which  he 
excels. 

55 


56  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

It  has  been  said  that  a  visiting  pastor  makes  a  fat 
church;  but  it  may  be  said  with  even  more  truth  that  a 
visiting  pastor  often  makes  a  lean  pulpit.  This  is  true 
especially  of  social  visiting.  Many  of  the  social  functions 
of  the  present  day  are  vicious  in  their  character,  and 
nearly  all  of  them  are  dissipating,  and  therefore  enervat- 
ing in  their  influence  upon  the  spiritual  life.  They  cer- 
tainly do  not  contribute  to  spiritual  advancement.  They 
are  generally  worldly  and  tend  to  unfit  the  mind  for 
spiritual  enjoyment.  The  faithful  preacher  should  steer 
clear  of  these. 

However,  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  visiting  which 
may  be  very  profitable  to  the  ministry.  Nor  is  it  neces- 
sary to  make  these  visits  always  distinctly  religious.  It 
is  possible  for  even  the  preacher  to  be  too  religious.  Paul 
found  the  Athenians  too  superstitious ;  or,  to  give  a  better 
translation,  too  religious.  The  preacher  must  remember 
that  while  his  message  is  from  God,  it  is  to  men  and  to 
women  who  are  still  in  the  flesh.  He  must,  therefore, 
make  his  visits  human,  and  the  more  he  enters  into  sym- 
pathy with  the  human  side  of  those  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact  the  more  effective  he  will  be  in  impressing  upon 
them  the  divine  message  which  he  brings  to  them.  In 
short,  he  must  be  natural  in  his  relation  to  his  people. 
He  must  not  talk  through  his  nose ;  he  must  not  illustrate 
the  Uriah  Heep  style  of  religion.  Most  people  will  soon 
detect  what  is  glaringly  false  in  his  exhibitions  of  piety. 
Indeed,  piety  is  spoiled  by  any  kind  of  exhibitions  of  it; 
it  speaks  for  itself.  It  needs  no  emphasis.  It  certainly 
needs  no  exploiting. 

There  is  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  judicious  visiting 
may  be  very  helpful  to  the  pastor  in  exerting  his  personal 
influence.  There  is  something  in  the  face-to-face  contact 
which  cannot  be  supplied  in  any  other  way.    He  who  has 


OF   VISITING  57 

the  gift  of  making  the  most  of  this  contact  has  a  rare 
gift  for  the  ministry.  However,  there  are  some  preachers 
who  cannot  make  visiting  tell  very  effectively  on  their 
work.  Indeed,  it  is  sometimes  better  for  a  preacher  not 
to  visit  at  all  except  in  case  of  the  sick  and  those  who 
specially  call  for  him  in  order  to  important  conference; 
and  even  then  it  will  probably  be  better  for  him  to  send 
a  substitute  when  this  can  be  done  without  offence.  Some 
preachers  have  not  the  slightest  tact,  even  in  the  sick- 
room, and  where  this  is  the  case  they  had  better  keep  out 
of  it  altogether  whenever  it  is  possible  to  do  so.  But 
when  the  preacher  can  exert  his  personality  to  good  effect 
in  visiting  his  people,  he  ought  to  do  so  to  a  reasonable 
extent.  This  visiting  will  help  him  very  much  in  the 
preparation  of  his  sermons.  He  will  learn  by  contact 
with  his  people  their  actual  needs,  and  he  will  learn  also 
how  to  meet  these  needs,  as  he  could  not  in  any  other  way. 
But  all  this  will  require  wise  discrimination.  He  must 
exercise  good  judgment.  In  short  he  must  be  sensible, 
and  therefore  always  act  as  may  seem  best,  as  each  condi- 
tion may  intervene.  He  cannot  lay  down  specific  rules, 
as  he  will  soon  find  these  rules  useless  in  the  numerous 
circumstances  which  are  sure  to  arise.  Of  one  thing, 
however,  he  may  be  thoroughly  assured.  He  must  not  waste 
any  time  in  aimless,  useless  visiting.  It  is  not  the  number 
of  calls  which  a  preacher  makes  that  counts  in  his  min- 
istry. It  often  happens  that  the  value  of  these  calls  is 
exactly  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  the  number  of  calls  made. 
If  he  visits  his  congregation  in  a  simply  social  way,  his 
visits  will  probably  do  very  little  good  from  a  religious 
point  of  view.  He  may  be  as  diligent  in  this  respect  as 
Dr.  Parker's  celebrated  Mr.  Bodens  in  "Ad  Clerum.'' 
Mr.  Bodens  was  a  t3rpical  visiting  pastor,  except  that  he 
probably  perspired  more  than  most  of  our  fashionable 


58  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

social  entertainers.  Mr.  Bodens  was  thoroughly  in  ear- 
nest, but  his  earnestness  was  mainly  expended  in  ef- 
forts to  reach  certain  families  about  dinner  time,  where 
he  expected  a  bottle  of  champagne  to  be  opened.  He  has 
his  counterpart  in  many  respects,  minus  the  champagne, 
in  the  modem  ministry,  and  occasionally  we  find  a  preacher 
who  takes  in  Mr.  Bodens'  whole  programme. 

Visiting  of  this  kind  is  a  dissipation.  It  is  often  worse 
than  that.  It  is  absolute  murder.  It  is  practically  mur- 
dering the  time  that  God  has  given  for  great  and  noble 
purposes,  and  the  reaction  upon  the  preacher  himself,  as 
well  as  upon  the  people  whom  he  visits,  is  disastrous  in 
the  highest  degree  to  all  spiritual  development.  In  view 
of  my  personal  knowledge  of  this  whole  matter,  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  express  the  opinion  that  fully  nine-tenths  of 
pastoral  visiting,  as  it  is  done  in  these  days,  actually  pro- 
duces more  harm  than  good.  Not  the  least  of  this  harm 
comes  from  the  minister's  loss  of  dignity  and  spiritual 
fervour  by  breathing  an  atmosphere  which  is  often  sur- 
charged with  frivolity  and  secularism.  In  any  case  it 
is  certain  that  the  pastor  who  wishes  to  do  his  work,  so 
as  to  gain  the  greatest  amount  of  spiritual  advancement 
for  his  flock,  will  surely  be  too  economical  of  the  precious 
time  at  his  disposal  to  waste  it  in  a  kind  of  visiting  which 
has  no  higher  aim  than  the  satisfaction  of  the  low  de- 
mands of  the  social  life  of  the  present  day;  a  life  which 
has  nothing  to  recommend  it  except  the  empty  provision 
for  meeting  certain  longings  inevitably  produced  by  habits 
of  dissipation.  But  no  minister  should  lend  himself  for 
a  moment  to  foster  that  which  has  already  overgrown  the 
whole  body  social,  and  whose  influence  needs  to  be  utterly 
broken  instead  of  maintained  or  even  excused  by  the 
preacher's  example. 


yiii 

THE    PROBLEM    OF    LITERARY    WORK 

The  preacher  must  be  careful  not  to  become  a  Jack-of-all- 
trades.  In  such  a  case  he  is  sure  to  be  good  at  none.  It 
is  usually  better  to  do  one  thing  well  than  to  do  a  thou- 
sand things  in  a  very  indifferent  manner.  Indeed,  all 
other  things  being  equal,  the  strongest  characters  are  those 
who  are  devoted  to  one  particular  calling.  One-ideaed 
men  may  be  derided,  but,  after  all,  they  are  the  men  who 
have  moved  the  world.  David  said,  "  One  thing  have  I 
desired  of  the  Lord,  and  that  will  I  seek  after.''  He  not 
only  desired  simply  one  thing,  but  that  one  thing  absorbed 
his  chief  attention;  he  sought  after  it;  made  the  finding 
of  it  the  principal  concern  of  his  life. 

The  Apostle  Paul  counted  not  himself  to  have  attained 
to  all  knowledge  or  all  perfection,  but  he  says,  "  This  one 
thing  I  do,  forgetting  the  things  that  are  behind,  I  press 
toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesus.''  This  one  thing  comprehended  the  whole 
scope  of  his  responsibility  and  work.  He  reached  out  after 
this,  he  constantly  struggled  to  attain  it;  it  was  the  one 
thought  of  his  waking  hours,  and  it  was  his  dream  in  the 
night.  Forgetting  the  things  that  were  behind,  he  con- 
stantly, persistently,  and  enthusiastically  pressed  forward. 
His  was  a  great  aim,  and  behind  this  aim  was  a  great 
soul.  No  wonder  he  wrought  more  than  all  the  other 
Apostles  combined.  He  had  a  single  purpose  and  he 
made  everything  else  contribute  to  that. 

Now  the  preacher  of  the  Gospel  dare  not  engage  in 

59 


6o  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

anything  that  will  detract  from  his  high  and  holy  calling. 
When  he  accepts  the  position  of  a  proclaimer  of  that 
message  which  is  for  the  salvation  of  souls  he  must  not 
allow  anything  to  interfere  with  his  distinctive  mission. 
No  man  has  a  right  to  preach  at  all  who  is  willing  to  give 
his  preaching  a  secondary  place,  or  even  to  load  it  down 
with  other  things  which  must  necessarily  hinder  its  effi- 
ciency. He  must  make  his  ministry  of  the  Gospel  the 
one  absorbing  thought  of  his  life,  and  whatever  he  does 
should  be  made  in  some  way  to  contribute  to  his  minis- 
terial power. 

This  has  been  the  course  of  all  the  preachers  of  all  ages 
of  the  church  who  have  been  eminently  successful  in  their 
special  work.  Alexander  McLaren,  of  Manchester,  Eng- 
land, is  perhaps  the  finest  sermon-builder  of  his  age,  and 
one  of  the  most  successful  pastors  in  the  United  Kingdom. 
When  asked  to  reveal  what  was  the  secret  of  his  eminent 
success  in  the  ministry,  his  answer  was,  "  I  give  all  my 
thought  and  attention  to  my  special  work;  I  make  all  my 
reading  and  thinking  contribute  to  my  sermons;  if  I  do 
any  outside  work,  even  this  must,  in  some  respects,  react 
upon  my  special  ministry." 

This  expresses  exactly  the  true  idea  of  the  pastor's 
relation  to  what  is  understood  as  outside  work.  He  may 
devote  a  reasonable  time  to  literary  study,  to  writing  for 
periodicals  or  books;  but  he  should  never  engage  in  any 
literary  work  whatever  that  will  not  in  a  reasonable  de- 
gree contribute  to  his  own  personal  growth  and  to  the 
effectiveness  of  his  pulpit  power. 

He  should  not  enter  the  lecture  field  for  regular  work. 
He  may  deliver  a  lecture  occasionally  on  a  literary  subject 
or  some  subject  closely  related  to  his  pulpit  work.  This 
will  give  him  opportunity  to  say  some  things  which 
cannot  be  made  a  part  of  his  sermons,  and  it  will  also 


OF  LITERARY   WORK  6i 

stimulate  him  to  read  and  think  along  lines  which  may 
in  the  end  help  in  the  preparation  of  his  sermons.  Famil- 
iarity with  the  best  literature  of  the  day  will  generally 
be  of  considerable  service  to  him  in  the  pulpit,  but  he 
must  not  expect  to  read  everything,  at  least  all  that  is 
written  outside  of  his  special  religious  studies.  He  should 
leam  how  to  read.  He  should  cultivate  the  happy  faculty 
which  the  bee  shows  in  extracting  honey  from  the  flower. 
It  does  not  go  over  the  whole  flower  to  find  the  honey,  but 
seems  to  know  instinctively  where  the  honey  is  located, 
and,  therefore,  wastes  no  time  in  securing  it.  The 
preacher  may  read  many  books,  and  yet  he  may  read  very 
few  from  cover  to  cover.  Indeed,  there  are  not  very  many 
books  worth  reading  in  that  way.  Most  of  our  modern 
books  are  filled  with  stuffing  that  might  be  omitted  to 
the  advantage  of  the  books.  But  even  where  this  is  not 
the  case  a  man  who  knows  how  to  read  will  be  able 
to  skip  a  great  deal  and  yet  appropriate  all  that  is  valu- 
able. To  read  all  the  books  from  cover  to  cover  would 
be  an  impossible  task,  and  yet  the  preacher  who  expects 
to  have  influence  must  keep  abreast  of  the  literature  of 
the  times.  But  he  must  be  able  to  find  the  honey  without 
reading  through  the  whole  book.  Wise  reading  is  an  art. 
Whoever  has  not  learned  it  cannot  keep  up  with  the 
literature  of  the  day.  This  art  ought  to  enable  a  well- 
educated  man  to  appropriate  the  best  of  all  important 
new  books  without  reading  one-twentieth  of  the  pages. 
He  must  learn  to  analyse.  He  must  come  to  understand 
what  necessarily  follows  from  a  particular  statement.  He 
must  know  this  as  well  as  the  author,  and  when  he  does, 
he  need  not  trouble  about  the  author^s  effort  to  convince 
him.  He  should  be  able  to  turn  the  pages  of  a  book  and 
find  all  the  salient  points  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 
When  he  reads  newspapers,  periodicals,  and  books,  under 


62  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  influence  of  this  method  of  finding  the  honey,  he  will 
not  have  much  difficulty  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  living 
thought  of  the  age;  he  can  spend  an  hour  in  a  public 
library,  and  then  carry  away  with  him  gallons  of  literary 
honey  while  others  will  busy  themselves  with  the  flower  or 
with  the  honeycomb. 

But  it  may  be  asked  how  can  he  attain  to  this  art?  I 
answer  he  must  learn  it  just  as  he  learns  everything  else. 
Of  course  there  are  differences  in  temperaments,  taste, 
opportunities,  and  aptitudes;  but,  after  all,  the  difference 
in  men  is  largely  owing  to  a  difference  in  training.  We 
can  form  habits  that  will  soon  become  second  nature,  and 
the  habit  of  profitable  reading  is  one  which  is  very  much 
neglected.  While  it  is  true  that  some  people  have  a  sort 
of  instinctive  faculty  for  detecting  both  the  best  and  the 
worst  in  reading,  still  no  one  will  succeed  in  always  ex- 
tracting the  honey,  without  going  over  the  whole  flower, 
who  has  not  trained  himself  in  this  very  profitable  exer- 
cise. We  may  not  always  be  able  to  explain  our  own 
methods,  or  even  to  fully  realise  what  we  are  doing  when 
we  are  extracting  the  honey.  The  pianist  does  not  take 
notice  of  the  conscious  movements  of  his  fingers  when  he 
is  rapidly  touching  the  keys.  He  does  not  count  his 
strokes;  but  all  the  same  there  is  a  sort  of  unconscious 
consciousness  that  is  going  on  all  the  time.  A  man  solves 
a  question  in  arithmetic  without  looking  up  the  rule  or 
rules  involved  in  the  problem.  But,  after  all,  he  is  uncon- 
sciously conscious,  if  such  an  expression  is  allowable,  that 
he  is  following  the  principles  he  has  learned.  So  it  is 
in  reading.  When  we  begin  to  read  books  it  will  gen- 
erally be  necessary  for  us  to  read  them  from  cover  to 
cover.  After  a  while  we  may  omit  much,  and  at  last  we 
may  read  over  the  synopsis  of  contents,  and  then  look 
up  the  principal  things  that  arrest  our  attention,  and  this 


OF   LITERARY   WORK  63 

will  be  all  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  appropriate  every- 
thing that  is  valuable  in  the  book. 

But  the  preacher  should  always  hunt  for  that  particular 
kind  of  honey  which  he  may  use  in  his  sermons.  Excur- 
sions over  the  fields  of  literature  will  be  largely  valueless 
to  him  if  he  does  not  cull  from  every  flower  that  which 
will  help  him  in  his  pulpit  work.  He  must  not  read  for 
the  benefit  of  lectures,  or  the  press,  or  any  other  out- 
side matter.  He  must  read  for  his  sermons.  He  must 
seek  for  the  honey  that  will  sweeten  his  pulpit  ministry. 
If  he  finds  something  else  that  can  be  used  occasionally 
in  lectures,  writing,  etc.,  etc.,  let  him  note  these  things 
and  use  them  when  the  occasion  calls  for  them.  But  he 
must  not  waste  his  time  in  hunting  for  these  things  since 
his  main  object  in  reading  is  to  accumulate  material  for 
his  special  work  in  the  ministry. 

I  know  it  will  be  said  by  some  that  a  preacher  should 
be  an  all-around  man,  that  he  should  be  equipped  for  any 
service  to  which  he  may  be  called.  But  I  deny  emphat- 
ically that  this  statement  is  true;  the  preacher  has  been 
called  for  a  special  work;  he  has  voluntarily  given  himself 
up  to  this  work,  provided  he  has  accepted  the  responsi- 
bility of  his  position;  and  he  dare  not  go  outside  of  the 
sphere  to  which  his  work  belongs  simply  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  certain  tastes  which  he  has  acquired,  or  to  meet 
certain  conditions  that  may  be  inviting  to  him.  He  must 
have  the  courage  to  say  "No,"  with  a  downward  beat, 
when  these  temptations  come  to  him.  He  must  be  able  to 
say,  "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan ;  I  cannot  live  by  bread 
alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceeds  out  of  the  mouth 
of  God.'' 

In  short,  the  preacher  must  stick  to  his  guns,  and  do 
the  work  which  is  specially  his  to  do  by  virtue  of  his 
high  call  to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 


IX 

THE  PKOBLEM  OF  KELATIONS  TO  OTHER  MIN- 
ISTERS AND  CHURCHES 

The  preacher,  if  he  is  a  pastor,  will  generally  find  in  his 
community  other  preachers  with  whom  he  must  neces- 
sarily have  a  certain  amount  of  contact.  He  cannot  avoid 
this  contact  even  if  he  were  to  choose  to  do  so;  but  he 
ought  not  to  choose  to  avoid  it.  If  properly  understood 
and  wisely  managed  this  contact  ought  to  be  of  service 
rather  than  a  disadvantage. 

He  will  find,  in  most  communities,  at  least  three  classes 
of  ministers.  In  the  first  place  he  will  find  those  of  his 
own  communion.  In  the  most  important  towns  and  cities 
there  are  several  churches  of  the  same  communion,  and 
it  will  be  necessary  for  each  pastor  to  adjust  his  relations 
so  as  to  be  on  friendly  and  cooperating  terms  with  all  the 
other  pastors  of  the  same  communion.  But  strange  as  it 
may  appear  to  the  uninitiated,  this  is  not  always  an  easy 
thing  to  do.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  assume  that  the  diffi- 
culty of  the  case  is  wholly  inexcusable.  Human  nature 
is  always  weak,  and,  like  a  chain,  it  is  never  stronger  than 
its  weakest  place.  Self-interest  is  probably  the  weakest 
link  in  the  chain  that  makes  up  human  character,  and 
this  link  is  usually  the  one  which  is  tested  in  any  asso- 
ciation of  ministers  of  the  same  communion  in  any  par- 
ticular locality.  Certain  rival  interests  are  almost  sure 
to  come  to  the  front.  Often  a  scramble  for  securing 
places  will  grow  into  a  storm  centre  which  will  ultimately 
do  much  damage.     It  sometimes  happens  that  preachers 

64 


OF  RELATIONS   TO   OTHER   MINISTERS    65 

are  alienated  from  each  other  for  no  other  cause  than  a 
too  vigorous  rivalry  in  an  effort  to  increase  respectively 
the  membership  of  the  churches  represented.  Truly  has 
Burns  said: 

But  och!  mankind  are  unco  weak. 

An'  little  to  be  trusted; 
If  self  the  wavering  balance  shake 

It's  rarely  right  adjusted. 

Now  all  this  could  be  avoided  if  the  Scriptural  idea  of 
one  church  in  a  city  was  observed.  When  I  come  to 
discuss  the  subject  of  organisation  I  will  animadvert 
upon  the  evils  of  a  departure  from  the  New  Testament 
idea  of  the  church.  I  can  only  say  now,  in  passing,  that 
the  perversion  of  the  Scriptural  idea  is  the  parent  of  almost 
manifold  evils,  and  among  these  evils  may  be  mentioned 
that  of  the  jealousy  we  are  considering.  However,  until 
this  evil  is  remedied,  it  will  be  necessary  for  pastors  to 
exercise  great  care  with  respect  to  the  matter  now  under 
consideration,  as  well  as  with  respect  to  many  other  things 
that  grow  out  of  the  weakness  of  human  nature. 

A  second  class  of  preachers,  with  whom  the  pastor  will 
probably  come  in  contact,  is  made  up  of  those  who  belong 
to  other  communions,  but  who  are,  nevertheless,  in  a  gen- 
eral way  friendly  to  the  pastor  whose  relations  we  are  now 
considering.  The  latter  will  find  these  preachers,  for  the 
most  part,  courteous  and  even  sympathetic  with  respect 
to  his  work.  Indeed,  he  will  often  find  them  not  so  much 
of  a  thorn  in  his  flesh  as  the  pastors  of  his  own  com- 
munion. This  arises  from  the  fact  that  family  and  tribal 
feuds  are  always  the  bitterest.  Jealousies  vsdthin  the 
household  are  the  worst  of  all  jealousies.  It  is  well, 
however,  not  to  place  too  much  reliance  upon  certain 
phases  of  Christian  union.     There  are  at  least  three  of 


66  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

these  phases  which  need  to  be  well  understood  in  order 
that  they  may  be  dealt  with  in  a  wise  manner. 

There  is,  first,  what  I  may  call  conventional  Christian 
union.  This  union  has  very  little  if  any  depth.  It  is 
purely  an  outside  matter.  It  is  an  effort  to  keep  up 
appearances.  It  is  a  sort  of  moonlike  exhibition  of  the 
real  thing.  It  shines  by  the  borrowed  light  of  that  which 
is  genuine. 

This  will  be  frequently  met,  and  I  am  free  to  confess 
that  even  this  conventional  courtesy  is  better  than  the 
fighting  spirit  which  sometimes  characterises  the  preachers 
of  a  community.  No  one  ought  to  carry  his  denomination- 
alism  so  far  as  to  illustrate  in  actual  life  the  spirit  of 
the  two  churches  described  by  Holmes  in  his  novel  entitled 
*^  Elsie  Yenner."  The  Doctor  pictures  two  churches  in  a 
New  England  village.  One  of  them  is  Calvinistic  and  the 
other  Arminian,  and  the  spirit  of  the  fighting  pastors  is 
finally  inparted  to  the  weather  vanes  of  these  respective 
churches  until  they  peck  at  each  other  across  the  valley 
by  which  they  are  separated.  Of  course  even  conventional 
courtesy  is  better  than  this  audacious  pugilism. 

A  second  kind  of  Christian  union  may  be  denominated 
platform  union.  This  shows  itself  on  public  occasions 
where  preachers  are  gathered  together  on  the  same  plat- 
form. On  such  occasions  it  is  a  very  common  thing  for 
each  speaker  to  flatter  all  the  rest  of  those  who  are  present, 
and  then  say  that  Christian  union  is  just  the  thing,  and 
that  he  is  ready  to  do  everjrthing  in  his  power  to  promote 
it.  But  this  union  lasts  no  longer  than  the  public  meeting 
which  has  called  it  forth.  It  is  really  little  more  than 
a  pretence,  and  is  not  worthy  to  be  characterised  by  the 
term  Christian.  It  is  simply  platform  union,  and  is  no 
wider  than  the  platform  occupied  by  the  preachers  who 
are  then  on  it. 


OF   RELATIONS   TO   OTHER   MINISTERS    67 

This  kind  of  union  manifests  its  true  nature  when 
there  is  an  effort  at  cooperation  among  the  different  de- 
nominations in  some  religious  enterprise.  Its  distinctive 
and  unreal  character  is  revealed  usually  without  much 
obscurity  when  there  is  an  effort  to  hold  what  are  called 
union  evangelistic  services.  It  is  a  curious  and  very  sug- 
gestive fact  that  the  spirit  of  union  will  pervade  such 
meetings  and  aU  things  will  go  on  well  enough  until 
some  one  introduces  a  suggestion  with  respect  to  method 
or  principle  which  is  contrary  to  that  which  has  become 
stereotyped  with  those  who  represent  the  different  denom- 
inations. As  long  as  the  services  are  conducted  in  har- 
mony with  the  usually  accepted  manner  of  dealing  with 
the  unconverted,  the  meetings  will  probably  continue  to 
be  harmonious.  But  if  some  one  has  the  courage  to  call 
attention  to  apostolic  methods  and  principles  and  begins 
to  instruct  inquirers  accordingly,  it  is  probable  that  this 
platform  union  will  at  once  break  down  even  though 
in  the  fall  some  of  the  preachers  should  be  severely 
wounded.  If  there  is  anything  more  than  another  that 
is  likely  to  be  a  disturbing  element  in  these  union  evan- 
gelistic services  it  is  the  insistence  upon  following  apos- 
tolic precepts  and  examples.  This  is  something  that 
platform  union  cannot  stand.  Things  will  go  smoothly 
enough  as  long  as  they  are  simply  echoes  of  a  stereotyped 
usage.  But  there  must  be  no  departure  from  this  usage. 
In  other  words,  this  kind  of  union  is  always  "  heads  I  win, 
tails  you  lose.^'  It  is  entirely  one-sided,  and  makes  no 
recognition  of  the  fact  that  in  such  a  cooperation  there 
ought  to  be  an  equality  of  privilege  granted  to  aU  who 
are  striving  to  work  together. 

There  is,  however,  a  third  kind  of  union  which  is  to 
be  highly  commended.  The  preacher  will  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  real  thing,  as  well  as  with  the  false  kinds,  to 


68  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

which  I  have  called  attention.  This  real  Christian  union 
should  be  highly  commended,  and  every  faithful  minister 
of  the  Gospel  ought  to  be  heartily  in  favour  of  it,  and 
work  earnestly  for  its  success.  But  this  union  can  never 
be  realised  unless  there  is  a  willingness  all  round  to  con- 
cede to  others  the  same  rights  that  we  claim  for  ourselves. 
Every  preacher  has  a  right  to  think,  speak,  and  act  for 
himself  without  any  obtrusive  outside  interference.  In- 
deed, every  manly  preacher  will  claim  this  much  for  him- 
self, and  this  claim  ought  to  be  conceded  at  once  by  every 
other  person.  But  what  he  claims  for  himself  he  should 
readily  grant  to  all  with  whom  he  may  come  in  contact. 
This,  however,  is  just  what  he  will  sometimes  not  do,  but 
this  he  must  do  if  he  expects  to  cooperate  in  any  success- 
ful effort  in  Christian  union.  A  union  that  is  not  based 
upon  this  liberty  is  not  worth  contending  for,  and  would 
not  stand  even  if  it  could  be  temporarily  secured.  Noth- 
ing will  stand  the  wear  and  tear  of  individual  manhood 
and  womanhood  that  does  not  grant  the  liberty  to  differ, 
even  though  it  denies  the  right  to  divide. 

The  preacher,  however,  will  meet  a  third  class  of  preach- 
ers and  churches  in  almost  every  community  with  whom 
he  can  have  little  or  no  active  fraternal  relations.  It  is 
a  pleasant  reflection  that  this  class  is  growing  less  and 
less  every  year,  but  in  most  communities  it  still  has  con- 
siderable prominence.  There  are  preachers  who  continue 
to  illustrate  the  spirit  of  the  old  deacon's  prayer,  when 
he  said,  "  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me  and  my  wife,  my 
son  John  and  his  wife,  us  four  and  no  more.  Amen." 
Where  these  men  are  met  with,  where  the  churches  they 
serve  sympathise  with  their  exclusiveness,  it  is  perhaps 
best  to  let  them  alone  in  their  narrow,  pent-up,  religious 
Uticas,  as  it  is  generally  impossible  to  make  anything  out 
of  them  better  than  what  they  are,  viz., — the  slaves  of 


OF   RELATIONS   TO   OTHER   MINISTERS    69 

sectarianism.  "Ephraim  is  joined  to  his  idols;  let  him 
alone/'  Where  the  true  preacher  of  the  Gospel  comes 
in  contact  with  this  kind  of  religious  narrowness  he  can 
hope  for  nothing  better  from  it  than  secret,  if  not  open, 
opposition.  There  are  some  men  so  little  that  they  can- 
not contain  the  great  broad  spirit  of  the  religion  of  Christ ; 
they  seem  to  be  compelled  by  the  smallness  of  their  man- 
hood to  occupy  the  narrow  limits  they  do.  If  a  large  and 
generous  thought  were  to  take  possession  of  their  crani- 
ums  the  result  might  be  disastrous,  and  this  fact  ought 
to  make  Christians  of  a  higher  pattern  charitable  toward 
these  unfortunate  little  men.  You  should  treat  them 
with  the  utmost  kindness,  and  pity  them  for  the  fate 
which  has  limited  their  manhood  to  such  a  small  pattern. 


THE  PEOBLEM  OF  VACATION  AND  TKAVEL 

It  is  still  true  that  all  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a 
dull  boy.  The  bow  must  be  unstrung  sometimes  or  else 
it  will  become  set  to  the  bend.  At  the  same  time  the  bow 
must  be  strung  when  it  does  its  work.  The  unbent  bow 
will  be  powerless  to  send  arrows  to  the  mark. 

With  respect  to  vacation  periods  and  travel  there  must 
be  wise  discrimination.  A  few  suggestions  may  help  the 
pastor  to  decide  when  and  where  to  go  when  he  is  seeking 
for  rest. 

First  of  all,  it  must  be  freely  admitted  that  the  faithful, 
hard-working  pastor  will  earn  a  vacation  whether  he  takes 
it  or  not.  There  is  perhaps  nothing  more  trying  on  the 
constitution  than  the  constant  strain  which  comes  with  the 
earnest  administration  of  pastoral  duties.  The  preaching 
from  the  pulpit  is  perhaps  the  least  of  his  troubles.  If 
he  is  well  equipped  for  this  work,  it  will  generally  be  a 
pleasure  rather  than  a  cross  to  preach.  Indeed,  the  man 
who  does  not  take  delight  in  his  pulpit  ministrations 
should  seek  some  other  work,  for  he  is  evidently  filling 
the  wrong  place.  It  is  not  meant  by  this  that  pulpit  work 
is  without  any  anxieties,  or  is  not  associated  with  arduous 
labour.  No  one  will  succeed  as  a  preacher  in  any  high 
degree  who  does  not  really  agonise  over  his  sermons.  He 
must  not  only  pray,  but  he  must  think;  not  only  think, 
but  he  must  throw  his  whole  being  into  his  thinking,  until 
every  vein  and  artery  and  every  nerve  of  his  body  is  in 
profound  sympathy  with  and  deeply  affected  by  the  mental 

70 


OF  VACATION   AND   TRAVEL  71 

struggle.    It  is  only  out  of  such  agonising  that  great  ser- 
mons are  produced. 

Nevertheless,  this  kind  of  work  is,  after  all,  a  real 
pleasure  to  the  man  who  has  cultivated  a  taste  for  it. 
The  pleasure  does  not  come  while  the  work  is  a  task; 
it  comes  bountifully  and  even  gloriously  when  the  work 
is  joyfully  accepted  as  a  necessary  condition  to  anything 
like  effective  service  in  pulpit  ministration.  The  same 
cannot  be  said  of  other  work  which  the  pastor  has 
to  do.  Some  of  this  work  may  be  also  a  pleasure,  when 
the  habit  of  the  work  has  been  firmly  established.  But 
there  is  considerable  wear  and  tear  from  unexpected  con- 
ditions, and  consequently  it  is  impossible  to  establish  a 
definite  habit  with  respect  to  these.  It  is  just  here  where 
the  bow  needs  to  be  unbent.  A  little  vacation  from  the 
cares  and  anxieties  of  the  pastor's  duties  may  be  a  real 
gain  to  his  ministry  rather  than  a  loss.  However,  it  is 
well  for  him  to  consider  carefully  when  and  where  this 
vacation  should  be  taken.  Time  is  always  an  important 
element  in  everything,  but  it  is  of  special  value  with  regard 
to  the  matter  now  under  consideration.  The  vacation 
must  not  be  taken  simply  to  fit  a  certain  period  of  the 
year.  The  city  pastor  usually  takes  his  vacation  in  July 
or  August  or  both.  He  does  this  because  he  supposes 
this  is  the  time  least  favourable  for  his  work  at  home 
and  most  favourable  for  his  own  personal  comfort  and 
health.  But  this  view  of  the  matter  is  not  necessarily 
correct.  The  most  fruitful  season  for  his  work  at  home 
may  be  the  very  time  when  he  would  personally  prefer  to 
take  his  vacation.  "  When  the  pastor's  away,  'tis  the 
Devil's  great  day."  In  other  words,  when  the  pulpits  are 
silent,  then  the  Devil  gets  in  his  most  effective  work.  If 
the  saloons  were  all  closed  in  the  cities  at  the  same  time 
the  churches  are  closed  the  preacher  could  leave  his  pulpit 


^2  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

with  much  less  anxiety  about  the  results.  But  while  these 
saloons  are  running  at  full  blast  and  all  other  instrumen- 
talities of  Satan  are  in  energetic  activity,  the  pastor  must 
reckon  with  certain  losses  which  are  sure  to  be  sustained 
if  he  vacates  his  pulpit  for  any  considerable  length  of 
time.  If  it  were  not  for  the  miserable  sectarianism  which 
prevails  in  our  cities  it  would  be  possible  to  meet  the  exi- 
gencies of  this  case  in  a  very  practical  manner.  If  a 
great  many  people  leave  the  cities  during  each  summer  it 
would  be  possible  for  enough  of  the  pastors  to  remain  at 
home  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  hour,  if  all  the  churches 
in  a  city  would  cooperate  in  planning  for  religious  serv- 
ice. Several  of  the  churches  could  be  closed  without  any 
special  injury  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  there  would  be 
certain  gains  from  such  cooperation  of  religious  forces. 

But  no  one  should  expect  any  such  religious  millennium 
to  be  inaugurated  and  become  general  within  the  near 
future;  consequently  preachers  must  plan  for  their  vaca- 
tion without  regard  to  such  a  state  of  things  as  has  been 
intimated.  Of  course  the  time  and  place  for  vacation 
must  be  more  or  less  a  question  which  can  only  be  decided 
by  the  circumstances  of  the  case.  A  sane  judgment  and 
a  sanctified  purpose  will  usually  be  sufficient  to  determine 
when  and  where  the  vacation  shall  be  taken. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  value  of  travel,  both 
for  rest  and  information,  if  the  travel  is  wisely  planned 
with  respect  to  both  the  time  to  be  occupied  and  the  par- 
ticular object  which  is  had  in  view.  If  change  is  rest, 
then  travel  is  the  best  way  to  secure  that  rest,  provided  the 
movements  from  place  to  place  are  made  leisurely  and  with- 
out nervous  excitement.  But  this  point  must  be  guarded 
with  great  care  or  else  the  vacation  will  not  bring  with  it 
the  remuneration  which  is  sought.  When  travel  becomes 
a  labour  and  a  worry,  then  it  should  be  given  up  at  once, 


OF   VACATION   AND   TRAVEL  73 

even  though  it  may  be  productive  of  some  good  results 
from  an  educational  point  of  view.  But  there  is  no  reason 
why  the  educational  feature  should  be  loaded  down  with 
excessive  haste  and  all  of  its  attendant  evil  consequences. 

Some  pastors  spend  their  vacation  in  Europe.  They 
have  about  two  months,  and  at  most  three  months,  from 
the  time  they  leave  home  until  they  expect  to  return  again. 
But  they  undertake  to  do  too  much  after  they  have  crossed 
the  Atlantic.  Those  who  speak  only  the  English  language 
should  not  even  attempt  to  go  to  Paris  the  first  time  they 
visit  Europe.  They  should  spend  their  whole  time  in 
the  United  Kingdom.  Much  of  this  time  should  be  spent 
in  Wales,  a  country  which  is  often  entirely  skipped  by 
American  travellers;  and  yet,  it  is  the  most  interesting 
country  in  many  respects  to  be  found  anywhere  in  Europe. 
If  it  is  desirable  to  see  old  castles  and  monuments  of  the 
past,  they  will  be  found  there  as  they  can  be  found  no- 
where else.  If  one  wishes  to  commune  with  nature  in 
some  of  her  most  attractive  forms  and  life-giving  condi- 
tions, then  Wales  is  the  country  to  visit,  especially  during 
the  months  of  July  and  August.  There  are  bits  of  scenery 
which  surpass  anything  to  be  found  in  Switzerland  in  ex- 
quisite beauty,  while  the  grandeur  of  some  of  the  moun- 
tain views  will  take  a  very  high  rank.  During  the  summer 
season  Nature  will  be  found  in  her  loveliest  moods,  and 
the  tired  pastor  will  constantly  breathe  the  very  atmos- 
phere that  will  give  him  helpful  rest. 

If,  however,  a  visit  must  be  made  to  the  Continent, 
then  the  preacher  should  make  his  way  at  once  to  Switzer- 
land, stopping  neither  at  Paris  nor  any  other  large  city. 
A  month  in  Switzerland  from  the  middle  of  July  to  the 
middle  of  August  will  be  worth,  for  recreation  purposes, 
a  year  in  European  cities.  He  should  see  these  cities 
if  possible,  but  not  on  his  first  visit.     Let  that  visit  be 


74  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

a  tonic,  and  this  cannot  be  found  anywhere  so  well  aa  on 
the  ocean,  or  in  Wales,  Scotland,  or  Switzerland. 

Travel  may  be  a  waste  of  both  money  and  energy. 
After  living  in  Europe  eighteen  years,  and  studying  care- 
fully the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  travel  in  that 
country,  I  have  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  disad- 
vantages largely  outweigh  any  benefit  that  may  be  de- 
rived. This  is  specially  true  of  Americans  who  spend 
their  summers  in  Europe.  They  spend  an  enormous 
amount  of  money,  while  the  information  they  obtain 
is  so  crudely  digested  that  very  little  of  permanent 
value  can  be  claimed  for  it.  The  rush  from  place  to 
place,  the  bird's-eye  view  which  is  generally  the  only 
view  possible,  and  the  weariness  to  the  flesh  which  is  sure 
to  follow  the  overstrained  exertions,  all  tend  to  make 
the  travel  contribute  little  or  nothing  to  any  really  val- 
uable end.  This  ought  not  to  be  so,  and  it  need  not 
be  so;  but  it  is  so,  in  a  large  majority  of  cases.  It  is  far 
better  to  see  fewer  things  and  visit  fewer  places  than  to 
undertake  to  cover  so  much  territory  without  accomplish- 
ing anything  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  As  no  definite, 
ironclad  rule  can  be  formulated  for  the  government  of 
vacations  the  whole  matter  must  be  decided  by  the  exer- 
cise of  what  we  call  common  sense.  This  will  be  quite 
sufficient  if  a  preacher  has  a  good  stock  of  it  on  hand; 
but  if  he  has  not,  it  is  probable  that  no  special  instruction 
will  be  of  much  benefit  to  him.  Nevertheless,  the  sugges- 
tions I  have  made  ought  to  be  helpful,  at  least  in  some 
degree,  to  all  those  who  are  willing  to  be  helped  by  the 
experience  of  others.  However,  the  final  test  as  to  what 
may  best  be  done  in  any  given  case  must  be  the  result  of 
each  preacher's  own  experience. 


XI 

PEOBLEM    OF    LITTLE    WORRIES 

The  preacher  is  fortunate  if  he  have  no  big  worries  to  try 
his  patience.  However,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  big  worries  do 
not  usually  try  one's  patience  as  much  as  little  worries 
do.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  human  nature  in  what  a 
preacher  friend  of  mine  once  said  on  a  very  trying  occa- 
sion. He  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  once  a  month  a 
certain  congregation,  and  usually  held  a  service  on  Satur- 
day afternoon.  A  dapper  little  preacher  of  the  town 
frequently  attended  these  Saturday  services,  and  usually 
took  notes  of  the  sermon  preached,  and  would  then  un- 
favourably criticise  the  sermon  at  his  subsequent  Sunday 
morning  service.  This  finally  became  a  great  annoyance 
to  my  brother  and  he  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  it. 
One  Saturday,  just  as  he  began  his  sermon,  this  little 
preacher  came  in,  took  his  seat,  opened  his  note-book,  and 
began  to  write.  My  brother  was  describing  the  crosses, 
trials,  vexations,  and  worries  with  which  we  have  to  con- 
tend. He  finally  said  there  are  some  worries  very  hard 
to  bear.  Said  he,  "  I  can  bear  the  reflection  that  sometime 
I  may  be  destroyed  by  a  lion,  the  king  of  the  forest,  or 
some  other  majestic  beast  of  prey;  but,''  said  he — at 
the  same  time  pointing  his  finger  directly  at  the  little 
preacher,  who  was  scribbling  notes  on  the  sermon,  "  the 
thought  of  being  bitten  to  death  by  mosquitoes  is  simply 
intolerable."  The  little  preacher  took  the  hint,  closed 
his  note-book,  and  made  his  departure  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, and  this  was  the  last  time  he  ever  made  his  appear- 
ance when  my  brother  was  preaching. 

75 


»^(i  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

This  expresses  very  clearly  the  idea  I  am  aiming  to 
emphasise.  It  is  the  little  foxes  that  spoil  the  vines;  it 
is  the  little  worries  that  are  intolerable,  and  therefore 
often  destroy  the  whole  nervous  system  of  the  preacher. 
He  needs  to  carefully  guard  himself  against  this  mosquito 
plague.  The  large  things  he  can  manage,  even  though 
they  should  be  of  a  very  disturbing  character;  but  a  little 
mosquito  worry  will  often  keep  a  preacher  awake  for  the 
entire  night.  It  may  be  well  to  classify  some  of  these 
worries  so  that  the  preacher  can  deal  with  them  as  they 
may  come  up  in  his  experience.  The  following  will  be 
sufficient  for  my  present  purpose: 

(1)  TTornes  of  ilie  Imagination.  Perhaps  nine-tenths 
of  our  worries  are  not  real  at  all,  at  least  have  no  real 
foundation.  They  are  for  the  most  part  the  result  of 
a  disordered  mind.  The  preacher  is  himself  very  often 
to  blame  for  the  very  troubles  which  are  preying  upon 
both  his  health  and  his  usefulness.  He  imagines  many 
things  that  have  no  actual  existence.  He  hears  some 
side  remark  which  he  construes  as  unfavourable  to  himself, 
or  he  interprets  the  manner  of  Mr.  Jones  when  they  last 
met  as  an  indication  of  unfriendliness.  He  suspects  Mr. 
Brown  is  seeking  to  undermine  his  influence,  and  he  has 
become  greatly  alarmed  because,  at  the  last  sewing  society, 
certain  women  criticised  the  new  bonnet  of  his  wife.  Of 
course,  these  are  little  worries,  but  they  worry  all  the 
same;  they  may  be  mosquito  bites,  but  they  leave  very 
distinct  marks  on  the  preacher's  nervous  system,  and  there 
is  really  no  reason  for  them.  Anticipating  evil,  or  looking 
out  for  it,  is  precisely  the  best  way  to  invite  it  to  come. 
Jesus  taught  the  true  doctrine  when  he  said  sufficient 
unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof.  It  is  an  old  but  true 
saying  that  he  who  looks  for  ghosts,  while  going  through 
a  graveyard,  is  sure  to  find  them.     Our  eyes  generally 


OF   LITTLE   WORRIES  ^y 

see  what  is  in  our  hearts;  hence  the  new  version  tells 
us  that  the  heart  has  eyes,  and  this  practically  gives  a 
new  meaning  to  several  important  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture. 

(2)  Some  real  worries  that  cannot  he  helped.  Every 
disturbing  cause  does  not  come  from  a  disordered  imagi- 
nation. There  are  some  real  little  foxes  that  are  constantly 
spoiling  the  vines.  But  this  ought  not  to  be  allowed. 
There  are  certain  things  we  cannot  possibly  help,  and 
where  this  is  the  case  we  ought  not  to  worry  over  them. 
We  cannot  make  one  hair  white  or  black,  and  we  ought 
not,  therefore,  to  fret  ourselves  because  our  hair  is  not 
the  colour  we  wish  it  to  be.  Neither  can  we  add  one  cubit 
to  our  stature,  therefore  we  ought  not  to  worry  because 
we  are  not  as  tall  or  as  short  as  we  would  like  to  be.  We 
cannot  control  the  weather,  and  it  is,  therefore,  folly  to 
find  fault  with  it,  and  to  fret  because  it  is  raining  when 
we  do  not  wish  it  to  rain.  Better  by  far  to  adopt  the 
sentiment  of  Longfellow,  in  his  "  Birds  of  Killingworth," 
when  he  suggests  that,  when  it  is  raining,  the  best  thing 
we  can  do  is  to  "  just  let  it  rain." 

(3)  There  are,  however,  many  disturbing  things  which 
can  be  helped,  and  there  is  certainly  no  justifiable  reason 
for  worrying  over  these.  Whatever  can  be  helped  ought 
to  be  helped.  Instead  of  spending  our  time  and  strength 
in  fretting,  we  ought  to  go  to  work  at  once  and  remove 
the  disturbing  element.  If  it  is  in  our  power  to  do  so,  we 
at  once  become  responsible  for  the  continuance  of  the 
evil,  no  matter  what  it  may  be,  and  consequently  our 
fretting  is  entirely  useless,  since  we  may  at  once  remove 
the  cause.  We  fret  over  our  neglect  of  duty,  our  failure 
to  meet  an  emergency.  But  this  is  our  own  fault,  and 
fretting  about  it  is  the  most  useless  of  all  exercises  in 
which  we  can  engage.     The  true  philosophy  is  to  correct 


78  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  evil  habit,  and  then  there  will  be  no  reason  for  fret- 
ting at  all. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  considerations  that 
when  we  have  subtracted  the  things  of  the  imagination, 
the  things  that  we  cannot  help,  the  things  that  we  can 
help  and  ought  to  help,  from  our  worries,  there  remains 
very  little  over  which  we  may  reasonably  worry;  never- 
theless, it  is  a  fact,  in  the  experience  of  most  persons, 
that  their  usefulness  as  well  as  their  health  is  often 
destroyed  by  worries  which  ought  not  to  have  any  place 
at  all  in  their  experience.  The  preacher  especially  ought 
to  be  free  from  them.  He  needs  all  the  strength  he  can 
command  for  his  great  work,  and  he  cannot,  therefore,  af- 
ford to  spend  his  strength  in  the  unprofitable  business  of 
fretting.  It  is  not  work,  but  worry  that  kills;  and  this 
worry  is  generally  from  causes  which  ought  not  to  influence 
us  in  the  slightest  degree  whatever.  The  preacher  often 
drives  refreshing  sleep  entirely  away  by  entertaining  his 
worries  after  he  has  retired  for  rest.  This,  of  all  things, 
must  be  avoided.  Be  sure  when  you  retire  at  night  to 
leave  with  your  clothes  all  the  worries  of  the  day.  Never 
take  any  of  these  worries  into  bed  with  you.  They  may 
not  be  strange  bedfellows,  but  they  will  be  disturbing 
bedfellows,  and  will  often  drive  sleep  away  entirely,  when 
it  is  just  the  thing  you  most  of  all  need.  A  mother  gave 
this  advice  to  her  son :  said  she,  "  Never  take  more  to  your 
heart  than  you  can  kick  off  at  your  heels."  This  may  not 
be  the  most  elegant  way  to  state  the  matter,  but  it  cer- 
tainly expresses  a  vital  truth.  The  phraseology  might  be 
changed  a  little  so  as  to  meet  exactly  the  case  just  now 
under  consideration.  Let  the  advice  read  as  follows: 
"  Never  take  on  more  worries  during  the  day  than  you  can 
kick  off  with  your  clothes  at  night." 

On  the  subject  now  before  us,  it  will  be  well  for  every 


OF   LITTLE   WORRIES  79 

preacher  to  read  an  essay  by  the  country  parson,  entitled, 
"  Concerning  Two  Blisters  of  Humanity.'^  These  blisters 
are  petty  malignity  and  petty  annoyance.  Some  of  our 
worries  come  from  the  malignant  actions  of  those  with 
whom  we  are  associated.  This  is  often  a  very  small  part 
of  our  worries.  When  we  stop  to  think  about  it,  in  our 
cooler  moments,  we  will  find  that  such  worries  are  really 
not  worth  a  moment's  consideration.  But  all  the  same 
any  petty  malignity  will  probably  fret  us  unless  we  take 
the  precaution  which  I  have  already  indicated.  If  we 
will  put  it  under  its  proper  class  and  treat  it  in  a  sensible 
manner  it  will  soon  have  little  or  no  influence  upon  us; 
while  at  the  same  time  it  will  probably  bring  great  dis- 
appointment to  the  people  who  are  never  so  happy  as 
when  they  are  making  other  people  miserable.  Indeed, 
this  is  a  very  important  statement  of  the  case.  The 
fable  of  the  frogs  and  the  boys  is  illustrated  very  often 
in  real  life.  What  is  fun  for  those  who  are  acting  the 
malignant  part  is  misery  to  those  who  are  the  recipients 
of  the  malignant  favours.  The  best  way  to  act  so  as  to 
disappoint  these  people  is  by  paying  no  attention  what- 
ever to  their  attacks.  Leave  them  to  sweat  in  their  own 
folly,  and  this  if  anything  will  bring  them  to  their  senses ; 
and  at  any  rate  will  bring  them  to  cease  troubling  you. 
Nothing  will  take  the  mean  disposition  out  of  malignant 
souls  sooner  than  the  consciousness  that  their  stings  are 
not  felt  by  those  for  whom  they  are  intended.  By  notic- 
ing the  sting,  you  at  once  encourage  the  stinger.  You 
may  kill  off  the  latter  by  refusing  to  regard  with  any 
consideration  the  former. 

There  is  another  reason  why  you  should  not  fret  over 
these  petty  malignant  attacks.  You  should  remember 
that  what  is  pain  to  you  may  be  a  great  pleasure  to  your 
neighbour.    Why  not  cultivate  a  benevolent  disposition  and 


8o  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

afford  him  all  the  pleasure  you  can?  It  is  true,  he  will 
probably  not  be  thankful  to  you  for  this  self-abnegation; 
but  no  matter  for  this  if  he  really  enjoys  it.  You  are 
expected  to  live  for  others,  and  if  your  little  disappoint- 
ments intensify  the  happiness  of  your  neighbours,  this 
itself  ought  to  half  reconcile  you  to  accept  the  disappoint- 
ments without  complaint.  You  have  failed  in  some  im- 
portant plan  you  had  devised.  Now  if  you  will  simply 
remember  that  your  discomfort  is  the  happiness  of  several 
quondam  friends,  then  you  ought,  at  least,  to  consider 
that  even  misfortune  has  its  compensation.  Someone  has 
been  speaking  evil  of  you.  Never  mind  that.  Do  not 
forget  that  when  he  is  talking  about  you  he  is  letting 
other  people  alone.  Is  not  this  what  Christ  meant  when 
He  said  to  his  disciples,  "  Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall 
revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of 
evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my  sake.  Rejoice,  and  be  ex- 
ceeding glad:  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven:  for  so 
persecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were  before  you." 

There  is  another  class  of  people  who  simply  annoy  you. 
You  realise  that  there  is  nothing  malignant  in  their  con- 
duct. But  all  the  same  they  stick  pins  in  you,  and  when 
this  is  done  you  are  almost  sure  to  flinch ;  but  if  you  could 
just  remember  that  when  they  are  sticking  these  pins  in 
you,  they  are  persuaded  that  they  do  it  for  your  good, 
then  you  might  be  more  gratefully  reconciled  to  the 
infliction. 

In  many  cases  these  dear  souls  are  guilty  of  this  petty 
annoyance  with  the  high  purpose  in  view  of  educating  you 
with  respect  to  some  things  wherein  you  are  deficient. 
Perhaps  at  your  Lord's  Day  service  you  were  not  as  happy 
as  you  might  have  been.  Indeed,  you  felt  the  burden  of 
partial  failure  yourself,  and  perhaps  you  are  grieving 
over  this  very  fact^  when  one  of  the  members  of  your 


OF   LITTLE   WORRIES  8i 

church  calls  to  see  you  and  talks  the  matter  over  with 
you.  He  is,  doubtless,  perfectly  sincere  in  his  desire  to 
do  you  good.  He  thinks  he  knows  what  will  help  you. 
At  any  rate,  he  is  not  economical  of  advice.  He  tells  you 
plainly  how  mortified  he  was  at  your  indifferent  sermon, 
and  especially  as  he  had  invited  a  particular  friend  to  hear 
you  on  that  occasion.  This  brother,  no  doubt,  is  just  as 
friendly  in  his  advice  as  the  young  married  woman  was  in 
what  she  said  to  her  husband  at  the  close  of  his  first 
sermon  after  the  return  from  their  bridal  tour.  A  very 
large  audience  was  present,  many  coming  out  of  curiosity 
to  see  the  new  bride.  The  preacher  was  a  little  embar- 
rassed, and  upon  the  whole  did  not  do  himself  justice, 
and  probably  most  preachers  would  have  the  same  experi- 
ence. The  husband  and  wife  walked  home  together,  and 
soon  after  they  had  fairly  started  the  wife  said,  "  Hus- 
band, you  did  not  preach  well  to-day;  I  was  almost 
mortified  at  your  failure.^'  The  husband  was  deeply 
pained  at  this  unexpected  criticism  of  his  wife.  He 
replied  by  saying :  "  I  know  that  I  made  a  failure,  but 
I  did  not  expect  you  to  tell  me  of  it."  Nothing  further 
was  said.  When  they  reached  their  home  the  husband 
took  a  seat  on  one  side  of  the  room  and  the  wife  on  the 
other.  Silence  like  a  spectre  brooded  over  the  still  and 
pulseless  air.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  for  several  minutes. 
At  last  the  wife  could  stand  the  pressure  no  longer,  and, 
womanlike,  she  went  over  to  her  husband,  put  her  arm 
around  him,  and  drawing  him  to  her  heart,  she  said: 
"  My  dear,  anyway  you  are  sweet  if  you  are  not  smart." 
"  Yes,"  said  the  husband,  "  I  am  a  sweet  fool." 

Now  no  one  will  question  that  the  wife  meant  weU  in 
this  case,  but  at  the  same  time  it  must  be  evident  to  every 
one  that  her  conduct  was  very  anno3dng  to  her  husband 
under  the  circumstances. 


82  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

This  mistaken  kindness,  or  rather  misplaced  kindness, 
is  often  very  annoying,  though  you  are  compelled  to  be- 
lieve that  it  is  bestowed  with  the  very  best  intentions. 
The  preacher  must  become  hardened  to  these  untimely 
criticisms,  or  else  he  will  go  home  many  a  time  to  sit  in 
a  lonely  corner  of  his  room,  where  he  will  brood  in  silence 
on  what  some  one  has  said  to  him  with  no  other  purpose 
than  to  help  him  in  his  work.  He  must  learn  how  to 
meet  these  little  worries,  and  when  he  has  learned  this 
lesson,  he  will  come  to  understand  that  they  are  little  more 
than  the  gnat  on  the  ox's  horn  and  ought  not  to  hinder 
him  very  seriously  in  the  great  work  which  he  has  to  do. 


XII 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  HOW  TO  BEGIN  A 
PASTORATE 

"  Begin  as  you  can  hold  out/'  is  not  a  bad  motto,  if  it 
is  not  interpreted  in  a  too  literal  sense.  The  pastor 
should  certainly  aim  to  make  a  good  impression  at  the 
start.  Much  will  depend  upon  this.  While  he  is  new 
to  his  congregation  the  minds  of  his  hearers  will  probably 
be  in  a  critical  attitude  towards  him,  and,  consequently, 
it  is  all-important  that  his  first  sermons  should  have 
special  care  in  both  their  preparation  and  their  delivery. 
First  impressions  are  generally  the  most  lasting,  and  this 
fact  emphasises  the  importance  of  beginning  a  ministry 
so  that  it  will  be  as  free  as  possible  from  unfavourable 
criticism.  First  things  are  always  important.  The  first 
five  minutes  of  a  sermon  is  altogether  the  most  crucial 
part  of  the  sermon.  Just  here  is  where  many  preachers 
fail.  They  stumble  along  over  the  first  five  minutes  as 
if  they  were  feeling  their  way  in  the  dark,  and  the  con- 
sequence is  the  hearers  make  up  their  minds  that  the 
sermon  will  not  amount  to  much,  and  often  withdraw 
their  attention,  so  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  elicit 
their  interest  again,  even  though  the  sermon  should 
finally  prove  to  be  excellent  in  every  respect.  The 
preacher  never  recovers  from  that  first  five  minutes'  im- 
pression, however  great  his  sermon  may  be  from  that  time 
to  the  close. 

The  same  is  true  of  the  first  few  weeks  of  a  new  pastor. 
These  are  crucial  weeks.  Every  word  and  every  action 
of  the  preacher  is  carefully  studied  by  his  people,  and  a 

83 


84  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

bad  impression  at  this  time  will  probably  have  its  in- 
fluence throughout  his  ministry  at  that  place,  no  matter 
how  long  he  may  remain. 

At  the  same  time  he  must  not  overdo  the  side  of  excel- 
lence. He  should  begin  as  he  can  hold  out.  Some 
pastors  deliver  their  very  best  sermons  during  the  first 
few  weeks  of  their  ministry  at  a  place.  This  is  a  mistake, 
as  I  have  already  intimated  in  a  previous  lecture.  It  is 
far  better  to  preach  average  sermons,  unless  the  pastor's 
high  aim  is  to  make  every  sermon  he  preaches  the  best. 
This  is  a  fine  idea,  but  probably  no  one  ever  attains  to 
it.  Some  sermons  will  be  inferior  to  others,  even  when 
the  best  efforts  of  the  preacher  have  been  used  to  make 
all  of  them  rank  among  the  best.  Assuming  that  this  will 
be  the  case  with  every  pastor,  it  is  well  for  him  who  is 
just  beginning  a  new  work  to  begin  as  he  can  hold  out. 
Perhaps  he  should  use  one  or  two  of  his  favourite  sermons 
during  the  first  few  weeks  of  his  pastorate,  but  he  should 
hold  a  number  of  these  in  reserve  for  important  occasions, 
which  are  sure  to  arise  during  the  first  year  of  his  min- 
istry. He  must  not  lay  himself  open  to  the  criticism  that 
he  struck  twelve  right  at  the  beginning  of  his  work. 

Of  course  he  ought  to  grow,  and  he  will  grow  if  he  will 
use  the  means  which  produce  growth.  These  means  have 
been  indicated,  and  need  not  be  repeated  here.  Some 
preachers  imagine  that  there  is  danger  of  exhausting  their 
sermon  material.  They  might  just  as  well  say  there  is 
danger  of  exhausting  the  Bible,  there  is  danger  of  ex- 
hausting nature,  there  is  danger  of  exhausting  human 
experience.  There  is  danger  of  exhausting  the  energy, 
the  patience,  and  even  the  conscientious  devotion  to 
earnest  study,  but  no  danger  whatever  of  exhausting  ser- 
mon material.  The  more  sermons  preached  by  a  well- 
equipped,  conscientious  student,  the  more  new  sermons 


OF  HOW  TO   BEGIN   A   PASTORATE     85 

he  can  preach.  Instead  of  wondering  what  shall  be  his 
theme  for  the  next  sermon  he  will  constantly  be  perplexed 
to  decide  among  the  many  things  that  are  pressing  upon 
his  attention.  His  difficulty  will  not  be  sermon  material, 
but  sermon  time.  He  will  feel  the  need  of  preaching 
every  day,  and  sometimes  every  hour,  in  order  to  tell  his 
people  what  he  wishes  to  say  to  them. 

Of  course  this  is  somewhat  different  in  the  case  of 
young  men.  They  have  not  the  resources  to  draw  upon 
that  older  men  have.  Nevertheless,  it  is  important  for 
even  young  men  to  understand  that  every  well  thought  out 
sermon  is  seed  sown  from  which  a  dozen  other  sermons 
may  spring.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  sermons  ought  to  grow 
in  a  sort  of  geometrical  progression,  and  they  will  grow 
in  this  manner  if  everything  the  preacher  reads  and  does 
is  made  to  contribute  to  the  one  purpose  of  his  life,  viz., 
the  augmentation  of  power  in  his  ministry. 

But  there  are  other  things  besides  the  sermons  which 
must  be  carefully  managed  during  the  first  few  weeks  of 
a  pastorate.  Much  will  depend  upon  the  preacher^s  at- 
titude towards  his  official  boards  and  his  congregation  as 
he  meets  them  and  has  conference  with  them.  No  specific 
rule  can  be  given  for  the  pastor's  guidance  in  respect  to 
this  matter.  But,  speaking  broadly,  he  should  always 
and  everywhere  aim  to  be  natural,  to  be  his  real  self. 
Frankness,  if  not  carried  to  excess,  will  always  win  good 
opinions.  People  like  to  be  taken  into  your  confidence. 
As  a  rule,  you  can  trust  them  with  respect  to  all  matters 
that  concern  your  personal  relations  to  them.  Of  course 
the  preacher  need  not  empty  himself  to  every  one  whom 
he  meets.  He  should  hold  something  in  reserve.  The  ad- 
vice of  Bums  to  his  young  friend  should  often  be  appro- 
priated by  the  minister  of  the  Gospel : 


K^ 


86  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

"Aye  free,  off  ban'  your  story  tell 

When  wi'  a  bosom  crony ; 
But  still  keep  something  to  yoursel* 

Ye  scarcely  tell  to  ony. 
Conceal  yoursel'  as  weel's  ye  can 

Frae  critical  dissection; 
But  keek  through  every  other  man, 

Wi'  sharpen'd,  slee  inspection.'* 

The  preacher  should  be  extremely  careful  not  to  animad- 
vert unfavourably  upon  the  habits,  customs,  and  char- 
acteristics of  the  people  with  whom  he  is  associated.  The 
citizens  of  every  little  town  are  jealous  of  their  town's 
reputation,  and  will  usually  resent  any  criticism  which  has 
the  appearance  of  underestimating  the  high  opinion  which 
the  citizens  have  of  themselves.  Better  let  them  enjoy  their 
self-complacency,  though  it  may  seem  altogether  unreason- 
able to  you.  Every  crow  thinks  her  young  one  is  the  black- 
est. This  is  undoubtedly  a  foolish  conceit,  but  generally  it 
is  very  harmless  if  no  one  antagonises  it.  But  it  may  not 
be  well  to  cross  the  old  crow  about  a  matter  of  so  little 
importance. 

In  any  case  the  preacher  should  not  attempt  to  regulate 
all  the  affairs  of  his  neighbourhood,  especially  during  the 
first  few  months  of  his  ministry.  If  he  will  wait  a  little 
while  he  may  have  more  success  than  he  could  possibly 
have  at  the  beginning;  but  when  he  has  waited  he  will 
probably  find  more  important  business  to  engage  his  at- 
tention than  an  effort  to  convince  the  people  of  his  parish 
that  they  are  not  exactly  "  it.'' 

Whatever  else  the  new  pastor  may  do  he  must  not  un- 
favourably criticise  his  predecessor.  He  may  find  things 
in  a  deplorable  condition.  His  predecessor  may  have  had 
numerous  faults,  but  the  new  pastor  will  do  well  to  give 
all  these  a  wide  berth.  The  predecessor  will  always  have 
at  least  a  few  friends  who  will  be  sensitive  to  any  un- 


OF   HOW   TO   BEGIN   A   PASTORATE     87 

favourable  criticism  upon  him,  and  the  new  pastor  can 
easily  make  these  sensitive  friends  his  permanent  enemies. 
The  word  tact  is  the  best  word  we  can  use  for  dealing 
with  such  matters.  It  often  happens  that  a  preacher  of 
first-class  ability  and  admirable  equipment  has  utterly 
failed  to  achieve  success  in  a  most  desirable  location 
simply  because  he  exercised  little  or  no  common  sense  in 
dealing  with  his  people  during  the  first  six  months  of 
his  ministry. 

How  long  shall  a  pastorate  continue?  The  answer  to 
this  question  must  be  determined  by  circumstances.  All 
other  things  being  equal,  a  long  pastorate  is  the  best.  No 
one  deserves  much  credit  for  a  reasonable  amount  of  suc- 
cess during  the  first  year  of  a  ministry  at  a  place.  It 
may  be  well  to  partially  repeat  what  I  have  already  said 
about  the  first  year  of  a  ministry.  A  preacher's  freshness 
will  usually  tide  him  over  the  first  year.  The  old  saying 
that  "  A  new  broom  sweeps  clean  "  is  especially  true  of  a 
new  pastor.  Even  his  faults  will  be  tolerated  during  his 
first  year,  because  his  people  do  not  wish  to  judge  of  him 
hastily,  and  they  are  always  hopeful,  during  this  period, 
that  these  faults  will  not  be  permanent.  Most  of  his 
hearers  will  judge  of  him  charitably  with  respect  to  his 
faults,  and  as  to  his  virtues,  these  will  be  almost  exag- 
gerated for  at  least  one  year.  However,  at  the  end  of  this 
year  a  different  state  of  things  will  begin.  His  freshness 
will  have  exhausted  itself,  while  his  critics  will  have  ex- 
hausted their  patience.  They  will  now  feel  at  liberty  to 
regard  forbearance  as  no  longer  a  virtue,  and  they  will 
begin  to  get  in  their  work. 

All  this  will  happen,  no  matter  how  successful  his  first 
year's  ministry  may  have  been.  Of  course,  if  it  has  been 
largely  fruitless,  this  fact  will  augment  the  growing  op- 
position.    But  even  if  his  ministry  has  been  a  decided 


88  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

success,  there  will  be  a  few  of  his  congregation  who  will 
begin  to  magnify  certain  apparent  defects,  and  will  prob- 
ably make  the  whole  second  year  an  unpleasant  experience 
for  the  new  pastor.  It  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  mention 
that  this  fact  is  owing  to  the  perverseness  of  human 
nature.  The  preacher  may  have  been  a  perfect  saint  in 
all  the  elements  of  character,  he  may  at  all  times 
have  preached  admirable  sermons,  his  relations  to  his 
people  may  have  been  unexceptionable  during  the  whole 
time  of  his  ministry,  but  this  is  not  an  absolutely  certain 
protection  against  unfavourable  criticism.  It  is  well 
known  that  some  people  are  born  in  the  objective  case, 
and  consequently  they  are  inclined  to  object  to  anything 
and  everything  when  that  particular  mood  is  on  them,  and 
with  some  people  it  is  never  off. 

However,  it  is  possible  that  some  of  the  criticisms  are 
reasonable  enough,  but  speaking  generally  they  will  not  be 
made  during  the  first  year  of  the  pastor's  ministry.  It  is 
the  second  year  that  seems  to  be  favourable  for  a  thorough 
sifting  of  the  pastor's  qualifications  and  character.  He 
will  now  be  studied  by  even  considerate  members  of  the 
church  without  much  respect  for  delicacy.  They  will 
feel  that  the  time  has  come  when  he  must  stand  on  his 
own  merits,  and  so  they  judge  of  him  accordingly.  If 
he  can  pass  through  his  second  year  without  serious  loss 
of  popularity  he  may  reasonably  hope  that  his  place  is 
secured.  Still,  he  had  better  not  be  too  certain  about  his 
position  until  his  third  year  has  ended.  Indeed,  the 
danger  line  has  not  been  entirely  passed  until  he  reaches 
his  fifth  year.  If  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  year  he  is 
firmly  established  in  the  affections  of  his  people,  he  can 
then  with  prudence  and  industry  remain  as  long  as  he 
may  desire.  Every  year  from  this  time  ought  to  be  a 
year  of  growth  in  assuring  his  permanency  in  the  place 


OF   HOW   TO   BEGIN   A   PASTORATE     89 

he  occupies.  At  any  rate,  the  crisis  will  have  passed.  In 
some  respects  he  will  have  made  his  own  constituency. 
When  he  first  began  he  had  to  become  adjusted  to  the 
church  as  he  found  it,  but  after  four  years,  if  his  ministry 
has  been  fairly  successful,  he  ought  to  have  gathered  as 
many  members  into  the  church  as  he  found  in  it  when 
he  began  his  work.  This  new  membership  may  now  be 
counted  as  a  strong  tower  of  strength  to  his  ministry, 
even  if  some  of  the  old  members  should  become  half- 
hearted in  their  support.  For  the  most  part  these  new 
members  will  hold  the  balance  of  power.  Their  en- 
thusiasm will  more  than  compensate  for  the  half-in- 
different attitude  of  some  of  the  old  members,  who  are 
not  entirely  reconciled  to  a  permanent  pastorate. 

When  this  stage  is  reached  the  pastor's  usefulness  has 
just  fairly  begun.  Of  course,  he  should  not  leave  at  a 
time  like  this.  But  this  is  precisely  the  time  when  he 
is  likely  to  be  tempted  by  offers  from  other  churches. 
The  very  fact  that  he  has  reached  the  period  we  have 
described  is  proof  to  other  churches  that  his  services  are 
desirable.  Some  of  these  will,  doubtless,  try  to  win  him 
away  from  the  place  where  he  is,  just  because  he  is  be- 
ginning to  exert  his  most  powerful  influence.  They  want 
a  man  who  can  do  things. 

By  the  way,  this  pastor-stealing  is  even  worse  than 
sheep-stealing,  for  it  is  stealing  from  one's  own  com- 
munion. It  ought  not  to  be  countenanced  anywhere. 
Indeed,  no  church  should  communicate  with  any  pastor 
with  a  view  to  securing  his  removal,  without  first  con- 
sulting the  church  of  which  he  is  at  that  time  the  pastor. 
It  often  happens  that  these  courtships  go  on  without  the 
church,  which  is  most  interested,  knowing  anything  at 
all  about  what  has  happened,  until  everything  has  been 
settled.    When  too  late  to  even  enter  protest,  the  church 


90  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

is  made  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  their  pastor  is  going 
to  another  field  of  labour.  This  whole  proceeding,  from 
beginning  to  end,  is  unworthy  of  Christian  churches,  and 
preachers  themselves  ought  to  refuse  to  entertain  any 
proposition  for  removal  until  their  respective  churches 
have  been  consulted  and  their  consent  freely  given. 

It  now  remains  to  consider  the  question  as  to  how  the 
pastor  should  leave  a  charge  when  he  has  decided  to  make 
a  change.  If  it  is  important  that  he  should  begin  his 
ministry  at  a  given  place  in  a  common-sense  way,  it  is 
even  more  important,  if  possible,  that  he  should  leave  a 
pastorate  by  exercising  this  common  sense  in  the  highest 
degree.  Some  preachers,  when  they  find  out  their  use- 
fulness has  ended  and  that  they  must,  therefore,  go  some- 
where else,  either  at  their  own  option  or  by  intimations 
from  the  church,  at  once  grow  ugly  in  their  spirit,  and 
even  offensive  in  their  manner.  This  is  the  very  quin- 
tessence of  folly.  It  does  no  good  to  any  human  soul,  and 
is  sure  to  react  upon  the  pastor  and  make  his  departure 
the  most  grateful  thing  that  could  happen  to  his  people. 
They  will  not  only  be  glad  when  he  is  gone,  but  they  will 
be  gladder  if  he  never  returns  to  them  again.  This  should 
not  be  the  case.  When  a  pastor  leaves  any  sphere  of  work 
he  should  go  away  making  every  one  sorry  that  he  is  leav- 
ing. This  fact  is  not  a  difficult  thing  to  accomplish,  if 
he  will  accept  the  situation  gracefully  and  do  what  he 
can  to  make  the  task  of  his  successor  as  easy  as  possible; 
in  short  if  he  will  be  a  gentleman,  as  well  as  a  Christian, 
and  manifest  gentlemanly  characteristics,  he  will  win  the 
respect  of  even  those  who  have  grown  tired  of  him,  and 
will,  at  the  same  time,  conquer  the  bitterest  opposition 
there  may  have  been  to  his  ministry.  No  man  should  ever 
leave  a  pastorate  without  creating  an  atmosphere  entirely 
favourable  to  his  visiting  his  old  congregation  whenever 


OF   HOW   TO    BEGIN   A   PASTORATE     91 

he  wishes  to  do  so.  This  atmosphere  will  help  him  in  his 
new  field  of  labour.  If  he  fights  back  at  the  people  who 
he  thinks  have  not  treated  him  as  he  deserves,  he  will  find 
that  they  will  follow  him  with  unfriendly  criticisms  to 
the  place  where  he  has  settled.  "  Forgive  and  forget '' 
may  be  a  hard  thing  to  do  under  certain  conditions,  but 
this  must  always  be  done  when  leaving  a  pastorate  where 
you  have  not  been  personally  treated  according  to  the 
highest  standard  of  Christian  ethics.  In  all  cases  you 
must  remember  that  even  Christians  are  sometimes  weak, 
and,  consequently,  the  strong  must  bear  the  infirmities 
of  the  weak. 


PART  II 

Problems  Growing  Out  of  the   Modern  View 
of  the  World 


It  has  been  already  intimated  that  the  preacher  must 
adapt  himself  to  the  age  in  which  he  lives,  and  that  he 
must  also  seek  an  environment  suitable  to  his  qualifica- 
tions. The  great  importance  of  this  suggestion  will  be 
especially  felt  when  the  preacher  is  considered  in  his  re- 
lation to  the  modern  view  of  the  world.  This  view  may 
be  right  or  it  may  be  wrong.  At  present,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  decide  definitely  this  particular  point.  That  there 
is  a  modern  view  and  that  this  is  the  prevalent  view, 
especially  in  educated  circles,  cannot  be  doubted  by  those 
who  are  in  a  position  to  understand  the  actual  trend  of 
things  in  the  modern  world.  It  may  be  that  this  view 
is  nothing  more  than  the  old  view  put  into  modern 
phraseology.  No  matter  how  this  is.  Phraseology  some- 
times makes  all  the  difference.  In  any  case,  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  treat,  with  any  degree  of  fulness  and  thoroughness, 
the  preacher's  vital  relations  without  considering  the 
problems  which  grow  out  of  what  is  called  the  modern 
view  of  the  world.  Let  us  then  proceed  at  once  to  the 
discussion  of  some  of  these  important  problems. 


XIII 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  A  FULCRUM 

This  problem  at  once  introduces  us  to  one  of  the  great 
needs  of  the  world  to-day.  Archimedes  said  he  could  lift 
the  earth  from  its  centre  if  he  could  have  a  suitable 
fulcrum  for  his  lever.  But,  alas!  the  fulcrum  could  not 
be  found.  We  are  still  struggling  with  the  problem 
which  perplexed  the  Syracusan  philosopher.  We  have  a 
superabundance  of  levers.  Nearly  every  man  has  a  theory 
as  to  how  the  world  can  be  moved  from  its  centre;  but 
each  of  these  theories  is  little  more  than  an  echo  from  the 
cry  of  despair  which  was  raised  by  the  great  mathe- 
matician when  he  found  that  he  had  no  proper  fulcrum 
for  his  lever. 

Much  of  our  reasoning  has  no  trustworthy  starting 
point;  and  still  less  has  it  any  demonstrable  starting 
point.  Even  mathematics  takes  for  granted  nearly  every- 
thing in  its  initial  stages.  Its  axioms  and  definitions, 
for  the  most  part,  are  accepted  upon  the  principle  of 
faith.  Indeed,  it  is  seldom  the  case  that  there  is  ever 
any  questioning  of  these,  even  when  the  science  has  been 
practically  mastered.  As  an  illustration  of  what  I  mean, 
it  may  be  well  to  ask:  do  any  of  us  really  know  that  two 
and  two  are  four?  Doubtless  there  are  those  who  have 
satisfied  themselves  as  regards  this  matter  by  an  appeal 
to  what  is  called  the  higher  mathematics,  but  it  is 
probably  true  that  there  is  not  one  person  in  a  million 
who  has  ever  even  attempted  to  work  out  the  prob- 
lem for  himself.     But  is  the  answer  any  less  certain  on 

95 


96  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

this  account?  Is  it  necessary  that  every  problem  of  this 
kind  must  be  solved  by  each  individual  before  the  truth 
contained  in  it  may  be  made  practical  in  the  affairs  of 
this  life?  If  such  a  demand  should  be  made  upon  our 
time  and  patience  surely  progress  would  be  almost  an 
impossible  thing;  and,  furthermore,  there  would  be  no 
room  for  the  exercise  of  faith  which  is,  after  all,  the 
most  potent  factor  in  all  the  affairs  of  this  world. 

John  Stewart  Mill  has  suggested  that  there  may  be 
worlds  where  two  and  two  are  reckoned  as  five.  But 
whether  this  be  true  or  not,  it  must  be  evident  to  all  who 
have  given  the  matter  sufficient  attention  to  form  a  correct 
judgment,  that  our  acceptance  of  this  method  of  addition 
is  mainly,  if  not  wholly,  a  matter  of  faith.  Our  mothers 
told  us  that  two  and  two  are  four.  Our  schoolmasters 
told  us  the  same  thing.  We  heard  their  statements  with 
unquestioned  confidence,  and  the  result  is  that  all  our 
business  is  now  conducted  upon  the  hypothesis  that  two 
and  two  are  certainly  four.  Think  of  this  simple  fact 
for  a  moment!  Think  of  its  unparalleled  influence  upon 
the  affairs  of  human  life!  The  faith  which  makes  this 
problem  a  reality  in  the  experience  of  all  men  forms  the 
most  fundamental  of  all  the  factors  that  enter  into  the 
business  of  the  world.  Suppose  that  this  faith  should  be 
unsettled!  Suppose  that  some  wise  philosopher  should 
be  able  to  convince  us  that  we  are  all  wrong  as  regards 
this  matter !  Do  we  not  see  at  once  what  confusion  would 
soon  reign  in  the  commercial  world?  At  present  the 
entire  business  of  the  world  is  conducted  upon  the 
hypothesis  that  undoubtedly  two  and  two  are  four.  This 
is  taken  for  granted  in  all  our  calculations,  and  conse- 
quentl}^,  if  this  statement  should  be  seriously  questioned, 
the  result  would  evidently  be  disastrous  to  all  our  com- 
mercial interests. 


OF   A   FULCRUM  97 

We  are  undoubtedly  great  logicians  when  our  premises 
are  all  right.  As  already  intimated,  we  can  always  move 
the  world  from  its  centre  when  we  have  a  legitimate 
fulcrum  for  our  lever.  But,  after  all,  much  of  our  reason- 
ing is  like  trying  to  lift  ourselves  in  a  basket.  In  such 
an  effort  we  push  down  just  as  much  as  we  pull  up;  and 
consequently,  no  progress  can  be  made.  This  illustration 
will  help  us  to  understand  that  we  must  have  an  infallible 
starting  point,  lying  outside  of  ourselves  and  our  environ- 
ment, in  order  that  our  reasoning  may  be  absolutely 
correct.  This  is  the  only  point  of  view  that  will  give  us 
conclusions  wholly  uninfluenced  by  considerations  which 
usually  more  or  less  distort  our  judgments.  Suppose  it 
were  possible  for  any  one  of  us  to  look  at  this  world  from 
the  planet  Mars.  Can  we  not  at  once  imagine  how  this 
would  modify  many  of  our  present  views  of  life  on  the 
earth?  We  should  then  have  a  fulcrum  for  our  logical 
lever  which  would  enable  us  to  reach  conclusions  without 
feeling  the  influence  of  our  present  earthly  environment. 
This  would  enable  us  to  form  an  unbiased  judgment  with 
respect  to  things  on  the  earth.  But  as  we  are  at  present 
located,  our  fulcrum  is  in  the  basket  with  which  we  are 
trying  to  lift  ourselves,  and  this  fact  leaves  all  our  conclu- 
sions more  or  less  open  to  legitimate  criticism. 

The  same  line  of  investigation  as  regards  literature 
will  give  practically  the  same  result  as  that  obtained 
from  mathematics.  Why  do  we  pronounce  the  first  letter 
of  the  alphabet  a,  the  second  h,  and  the  third  c?  Cer- 
tainly this  is  not  because  there  is  any  necessary  connection 
between  these  signs  and  the  sounds  they  respectively  rep- 
resent. The  letters  of  the  alphabet  are  quite  arbitrary 
and  might  stand  for  any  other  sounds  just  as  well  as 
those  they  now  represent.  In  fact,  these  letters  do  repre- 
sent very  different  sounds  in  different  languages.     Why 


98  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

then  do  we  give  them  the  sounds  commonly  used  in  the 
English  language?  Undoubtedly,  for  no  other  reason 
than  is  found  in  the  fact  that  our  parents  and  teachers 
taught  us  to  give  to  these  signs  the  sounds  which  we 
ascribe  to  them.  They  told  us  that  the  first  letter  of  the 
alphabet  should  have  the  sound  of  a,  the  second  h,  the  third 
Cy  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  alphabet,  and  we  were  simply 
fools  enough  to  believe  what  they  said;  and  this  unques- 
tioning faith  enabled  us  to  learn  how  to  talk,  how  to 
spell,  and  how  to  read,  and  thus  to  construct  the  founda- 
tion of  our  education.  This  is  the  only  legitimate  expla- 
nation; and,  this  being  true,  it  is  evident  that  our  whole 
literature  is  practically  based  upon  faith.  The  process 
of  development  is  simple  enough.  We  hear,  believe,  and 
speak  or  write.  As  a  matter  of  fact  we  do  not  reason  at 
all  as  regards  these  primary  things,  and  yet  there  is,  per- 
haps, nothing  with  which  we  have  to  do  that  is  more 
certain  than  these  matters  of  faith  which  lie  at  the  very 
foundation  of  all  intellectual  growth. 

At  any  rate,  as  already  suggested,  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  all  the  business  of  commerce,  which  is  so  prominently 
characteristic  of  the  present  age,  is  practically  conducted 
upon  the  faith  which  affirms  that  two  and  two  are  four, 
and  not  from  any  actual  demonstration  of  the  truth  of 
this  affirmation  that  has  been  brought  out  by  ourselves. 
It  is,  likewise,  true  that  the  splendid  literature  of  the 
English  language  has  its  origin  in,  and  is  built  upon,  the 
fact  that  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  must  be  sounded 
according  to  the  teaching  of  our  parents  and  school- 
masters, without  the  slightest  reference  whatever  to  any 
necessary  logical  connection  between  the  signs  used  and 
the  sounds  represented. 

I  have  already  intimated  that  we  are  great  logicians;  at 
least  we  think  we  are  great  logicians;  and  yet  our  reason- 


OF  A  FULCRUM  99 

ing,  after  all,  may  not  be  much  more  conclusive  than  that 
of  the  college  boy  who  had  returned  home  to  enjoy  a 
Christmas  dinner  with  his  parents.  As  they  seated  them- 
selves at  the  table,  where  two  nicely  roasted  ducks  oc- 
cupied a  prominent  place,  the  father  anxiously  inquired 
of  his  hopeful  son  something  about  the  studies  he  was 
pursuing  at  college.  The  young  man,  anxious  to  impress 
his  father  with  his  marvellous  learning,  told  the  old  gen- 
tleman that,  among  other  things,  he  was  studying  logic. 
"And  pray  what  is  logic ?^'  inquired  pater  familias. 
"  Why,  logic,"  responded  the  son,  "  is  that  science  or  art 
by  which  we  are  enabled  to  prove  anything.  I  can  prove," 
continued  the  youthful  Aristotle,  "  anything  I  wish  by 
logic.  For  instance,  I  can  prove  that  there  are  three 
ducks  on  this  table."  The  old  gentleman  looked  incredu- 
lous, but  commanded  the  son  to  proceed.  "  Well,  father," 
said  the  son,  "  is  not  that  one  duck  ? "  pointing  to  the 
nearest  one.  "  Yes,"  said  the  old  gentleman.  "  And  is 
not  that  two  ducks  ?  "  pointing  to  the  other  one.  "  And 
do  not  one  and  two  make  three  ?  "  "  Certainly,  my  son." 
"  Then,"  said  the  young  man,  "  it  evidently  follows  that 
there  are  three  ducks  on  the  table,  and  this  is  what  my  logic 
has  demonstrated."  *^A11  right,"  said  the  father,  *^we 
will  put  this  reasoning  to  a  practical  test."  Whereupon 
he  placed  one  of  the  ducks  upon  his  wife's  plate  and  the 
other  upon  his  own  plate,  and  then  gravely  said  to  his 
son,  "You,  my  lad,  may  have  the  third  duck  for  your 
logic." 

We  laugh  at  this  sophomoric  reasoning,  and  yet  some 
of  us  seniors  are  not  altogether  free  from  similar  absurd- 
ities. We  either  play  upon  our  words,  or  else  assume  most 
of  our  facts.  This  is  more  or  less  true  in  nearly  every 
department  of  investigation.  Even  science  is  not  always 
consistent.     Its  very  name  suggests  the  impropriety  of 


loo  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

speculating.  Nevertheless,  it  is  no  longer  doubtful  that 
many  who  claim  to  be  scientists,  par  excellence^  are,  after 
all,  governed  more  by  their  own  imagination  than  they 
are  by  well-established  facts.  I  am  not  unreasonable. 
No  one  ought  to  expect  intelligent  men  to  confine  their 
thinking  to  what  is  already  known.  There  is  a  peculiar 
fascination  about  the  undiscovered  world,  and  this  of 
itself  is  suflBcient  to  account  for  every  speculative  tendency. 
It  is  not  against  the  healthful  play  of  the  imagination 
that  I  make  my  protest.  On  the  other  hand,  a  legitimate 
exercise  of  the  imagination  is  not  only  agreeable  but  also 
eminently  useful.  We  often  have  to  dream  before  we 
realise.  Besides,  life  would  be  altogether  too  prosaic  for 
endurance  if  there  was  no  proper  place  for  the  imagi- 
nation. It  is  not,  therefore,  a  cause  for  complaint  that 
there  is  some  poetry  within  the  sphere  of  scientific  in- 
vestigation; but  it  is  a  crying  evil  that  this  poetry  is 
sometimes  called  fact,  and  is  practically  substituted  for 
what  only  can  be  the  foundation  of  trustworthy  reasoning. 
This  tendency  is  especially  noticeable  in  the  discussion 
of  biblical  questions  by  scientific  men.  We  have  a  right 
to  expect  better  things  of  them.  They  are  trained  to 
regard  matters  of  fact  as  of  the  first  importance.  Indeed, 
the  inductive  method  of  reasoning  is  but  another  name 
for  the  scientific  method,  and  this  inductive  method  bases 
all  its  conclusions  upon  well-established  facts;  and  it 
must  be  confessed  that  scientists,  in  the  main,  do  not 
trust  much  to  guesswork  while  they  are  engaged  in  the 
examination  of  Nature.  These  gentlemen,  however, 
seem  to  lose  their  heads  just  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  deal 
with  the  Bible.  What  appear  to  them  to  be  contra- 
dictions must  no  longer  receive  fair  treatment.  Hence, 
the  inductive  method  is  at  once  discarded,  while  the  wild- 
est speculations   are   regarded  as   veritable   facts.     This 


OF   A   FULCRUM  loi 

style  is  certainly  very  vicious.  It  leads  to  a  destructive 
conflict  which  might  easily  be  avoided  if  nothing  was 
accepted  that  cannot  be  clearly  verified.  As  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  vagaries  of  scientific  men,  when  they  trust  to 
the  imagination  rather  than  to  facts,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
refer  to  what  Mr.  Darwin  has  said  with  regard  to  the 
origin  of  man.  "  I  believe,'^  he  says,  "  by  considering 
the  embryological  structure  of  man — the  homologies 
which  he  presents  with  the  lower  animals,  the  rudiments 
which  he  retains,  and  the  reversions  to  which  he  is  liable 
— we  can  partly  recall  in  imagination  the  former  con- 
dition of  our  early  progenitors,  and  can  approximately/ 
place  them  in  their  proper  position  in  the  geological 
series.^'  I  have  emphasised  the  three  words  to  which 
special  attention  is  directed,  though  if  I  were  to  quote 
the  whole  paragraph  it  would  be  evident  that  his  argu- 
ment is  at  every  point  built  simply  upon  assumptions, 
while  the  words  ^^  probably,"  "  if,"  "  seems,"  etc.,  etc.,  at 
once  suggest  the  foundation  of  his  whole  hypothesis. 
Surely  such  reasoning  as  this  cannot  be  trusted  to  over- 
turn the  definite  and  clear-ringing  statements  of  the 
Bible. 

Equally  distressing  is  the  endless  guesswork  system  of 
many  of  the  Higher  Critics.  They  assume  that  certain 
things  are  prohahly  true,  and  then  they  go  on  to  draw  a 
conclusion  which  in  their  judgment  is  unquestionably 
true.  The  aim  of  the  Higher  Criticism  is  right  enough, 
and  no  one  ought  to  object  to  the  most  vigorous  applica- 
tion of  it  in  examining  the  claims  of  the  Bible.  If  there 
is  anything  wrong  in  the  Bible,  or  in  any  view  of  the 
Bible,  surely  every  honest  truth-seeker  ought  to  rejoice 
to  have  this  wrong  removed.  But  we  must  sharply  dis- 
tinguish between  a  wrong  which  is  simply  assumed  and 
one  which  lias  been  proved  to  be  such.    Here  is  the  only 


102  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

vital  question  at  issue  between  the  Higher  Critics  and 
those  who  refuse  to  follow  them  in  all  their  flights  of 
imagination.  The  traditional  view  of  the  Bible  may  not 
be  able  to  stand  at  every  point,  but  this  view  will  never 
be  completely  overthrown  unless  the  facts  of  the  case  are 
forthcoming.  At  present,  many  of  the  alleged  facts  are 
without  sufficient  proof,  while  all  the  guesswork  is  really 
unworthy  of  a  discussion  involving  such  serious  conse- 
quences. What  is  needed  cannot  be  supplied  by  dreaming, 
nor  again  by  building  up  a  series  of  conclusions  on  what 
is  little  more  than  a  vague  probability. 

My  plea  is  for  the  facts.  Let  us  have  all  these  well 
established,  and  then  inductions  will  be  in  order.  Much 
of  the  discussion,  as  now  conducted,  is  wholly  illogical, 
and  if  the  result  is  not  satisfactory  to  the  public  our 
critics  will  have  themselves  to  blame.  These  critics  will 
write  in  vain  in  favour  of  a  system  of  teaching  the  young, 
based  upon  the  Higher  Criticism;  for  the  young,  more 
than  others,  are  influenced  by  matters  of  fact.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  radical  change  will  take 
place  in  our  religious  teaching  until  we  have  unquestion- 
able  facts  from  which  to  draw  our  conclusions. 

These  considerations  serve  well  to  emphasise  the  im- 
portance of  a  trustworthy  fulcrum  upon  which  to  place 
our  logical  lever.  "We  have  seen  that  the  only  fulcrum 
we  can  possibly  have  in  our  primary  investigations  is 
faith;  and  in  this  conclusion  I  am  simply  echoing  the 
most  profound  teaching  of  the  ablest  thinkers  of  all  ages. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  examine  carefully  the  dog- 
matic deliverances  of  the  schoolmen  in  either  theology  or 
philosophy ;  and  yet,  it  may  not  be  altogether  out  of  place, 
if  I  call  your  attention  to  a  few  brief  statements  of  some 
of  the  greatest  theologians  and  philosophers  of  the  past 
ages.    The  celebrated  Anselm,  in  his  Proslogion,  says: 


OF   A   FULCRUM  103 

"I  desire  certainly  to  (scientifically)  understand  that 
truth  which  my  heart  believes  and  loves ;  yet  I  do  not  seek 
to  understand  that  I  may  believe,  but  I  believe  that  I 
may  understand.  For  I  believe  the  truth,  because  if  I 
am  unbelieving  I  cannot  (philosophically)  apprehend." 
Again  he  remarks,  that  "  he  who  does  not  believe  can  have 
no  experience,  and  he  who  has  no  experience  cannot  un- 
derstand." 

This  is  undoubtedly  sound  reasoning.  It  certainly  does 
not  exclude  the  possibility  of  scientific  analysis;  nor  does 
it  interfere  in  the  slightest  degree  with  a  philosophical 
apprehension  of  truth.  It  simply  fixes  the  starting  point 
or  the  fulcrum,  and  this  is  declared  to  be  faith  as  contra- 
distinguished from  science.  And,  yet,  in  my  opinion, 
faith  is  not  only  the  foundation  of  philosophy,  but  is,  in 
an  important  sense,  the  highest  expression  of  philosophy. 
In  saying  this  I  do  not  wish  to  specially  antagonise  the 
Cartesian  axiom,  Cogito,  ergo  sum.  I  am  not  so  sure 
that  this  axiom  will  not  do  to  start  with;  and  yet  if  we 
reverse  it,  it  seems  quite  as  reasonable.  Why  not  say 
Sum,  ergo  cogito.  Let  me  illustrate.  Suppose  I  say  a 
wave  of  the  sea  heaves,  ergo  it  exists,  and  than  say  a 
wave  of  the  sea  exists,  therefore,  it  heaves.  Which  of 
these  expressions  is  a  better  statement  of  the  case?  Such 
nice  distinctions  are  not  very  profitable,  and  as  a  rule 
they  leave  the  mind  confused,  and  certainly  do  not  settle 
anjrthing  definitely.  A  far  better  maxim  than  either  of 
these  is  Credo,  ut  intelligam — "I  believe  that  I  may 
know." 

Quite  in  harmony  with  the  teaching  of  Ansehn  is  that 
of  St.  Bernard,  who  was,  perhaps,  the  greatest  and  noblest 
representative  of  the  old-school  theologians.  In  discuss- 
ing the  relations  of  science  and  faith,  he  says :  "  Science 
reposes  upon  reason;  faith  upon  authority.     Both,  how- 


104  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

ever,  are  in  possession  of  a  sure  and  valid  truth;  but 
faith  possesses  the  truth  in  a  close  and  involuted  form, 
while  science  possesses  it  in  an  open  and  expanded  one. 
Scientific  cognition  not  only  possesses  the  truth,  but  the 
distinct  comprehension  of  it.  Faith  is  a  sort  of  sure 
and  instinctive  intimation  of  truth  that  is  not  yet  opened 
up  before  the  mind  in  clear  analysis  and  outline.  How 
then  does  faith  differ  from  science?  In  this,  namely, 
that  although  faith  is  not  in  possession  of  an  uncertain 
or  an  invalid  truth  any  more  than  science  is,  yet  it  is  in 
possession  of  an  undeveloped  truth,  while  science  has  the 
truth  in  an  unfolded  form.  Science  does  not  desire  to 
contradict  faith;  but  it  desires  to  cognise  with  plainness 
what  faith  knows  with  certainty.'' 

Dr.  Mansel  tells  us :  "  The  cardinal  point  of  Sir 
William  Hamilton's  system  is,  the  absolute  necessity, 
under  any  system  of  philosophy  whatever,  of  acknowl- 
edging the  existence  of  a  sphere  of  belief  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  sphere  of  thought." 

To  these  striking  quotations  I  might  add  the  testimony 
of  such  eminent  thinkers  as  M.  Cousin,  Archbishop 
Whately,  Mr.  Balfour,  and  others.  But  I  feel  confident 
that  no  more  testimony  is  needed  in  order  to  establish  my 
fundamental  thesis,  namely,  that  most,  if  not  all,  of  our 
primary  knowledge  is  based  upon  faith;  and  that  it  is 
not  only  true,  "  without  faith  we  cannot  please  God,"  but 
it  is  also  true,  without  faith  we  can  make  no  progress  in 
either  religion,  science,  or  philosophy.  In  short,  faith  is 
with  respect  to  everything  just  what  the  Apostle  to  the 
Hebrews  says  it  is ;  it  stands  under,  or  "  is  the  founda- 
tion of  things  hoped  for,  the  conviction  of  things  not 
seen."  This  comprehensive  statement  makes  faith  funda- 
mental, alike  in  things  past,  present,  and  future;  and  con- 
sequently it  lies  at  the  basis  of  all  our  development, 


OF  A   FULCRUM  105 

whether  in  religion,  science,  or  philosophy.  And  in  view 
of  this  fact,  it  is  not  remarkable  that  the  Apostle  Paul 
should  say,  "  We  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight." 

I  trust  I  have  been  able  to  make  my  meaning  clear,  for 
I  am  very  anxious  to  impress  my  view  of  this  matter  upon 
the  attention  of  those  who  now  hear  me.  In  these  days 
of  scientific  inquiry  there  is  an  ugly  tendency  to  deride 
faith;  at  least  to  minimise  its  importance;  and  my  object 
is  to  show  that  even  science  would  be  utterly  helpless 
were  it  not  for  the  starting  point  which  faith  furnishes; 
and,  even  in  its  highest  development,  science  would  soon 
be  a  ship  without  a  rudder  were  it  not  for  its  constant 
recurrence  to  the  axioms  and  definitions  which  have  been 
received  wholly  upon  the  principle  of  faith.  This  being 
true,  Sir  Bulwer  Lytton  was  justified  in  saying :  "  Strike 
from  mankind  the  principle  of  faith,  and  men  would  have 
no  more  history  than  a  flock  of  sheep." 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  considerations  it  seems  to  me 
that  faith  must  be  regarded  as  fundamental  in  all  our 
reasoning,  and  it  therefore  furnishes  us  with  the  fulcrum 
for  which  we  have  been  seeking.  Undoubtedly  we  must 
have  some  trustworthy  starting  point,  or  else  it  is  impos- 
sible to  reason  at  all  with  any  certainty  as  to  our  conclu- 
sions. In  our  helplessness,  on  account  of  our  limited 
vision,  faith  comes  to  our  relief  the  moment  that  sight 
fails  us,  and  hence  it  is  eminently  true  in  everjrthing  as 
in  religion  that  *^  we  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight," 
though  in  some  things  sight  has  a  farther  reach  than  it 
has  in  others.  From  a  scientific  point  of  view  faith  is 
often  regarded  as  an  obtrusive  interloper,  but  as  a  matter 
of  fact  science  itself  would  consist  simply  of  a  hopeless 
jumble  of  words,  without  any  definite  meaning  whatever, 
were  it  not  for  the  very  faith  which  the  laboratory  discards 
so  unceremoniously. 


io6  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

But  faith  is  not  only  fundamental  in  all  our  reasoning, 
but  it  also  marks  very  emphatically  man's  limitations, 
and  fixes  definitely  the  boundary  line  of  his  investigations. 
The  Psalmist  tells  us  that  man  was  created  "  a  little 
lower  than  God"  This  is  a  very  suggestive  statement. 
Were  it  not  for  that  space  between  God  and  man,  man 
would  be  without  any  limitations  whatever.  He  would 
be  practically  equal  with  God,  and  would  therefore  be 
omniscient  as  well  as  omnipotent.  But  it  is  that  space 
which  marks  his  inferiority  and  fixes  his  limitations;  and 
it  is  precisely  that  space  which  separates  him  from  God, 
which  measures  the  exact  sphere  of  faith.  It  is  in  this 
domain  that  faith  reigns  supreme.  It  is  just  here  where 
it  exercises  supreme  authority,  and  supplements  man's 
weakness  by  bridging  over  the  distance  which  separates 
him  from  God.  By  faith  man  is  able  to  cross  this  chasm 
of  the  unknown  and  have  communion  with  the  invisible 
and  the  infinite. 

From  this  point  of  view  faith  becomes  a  constant  sign 
of  man's  weakness,  and  is  practically  the  only  possible 
means  by  which  man  can  become  strong  in  the  Lord  and 
in  the  power  of  his  might.  No  wonder  the  Apostle,  in  his 
letter  to  the  Hebrews,  should  tell  us  of  the  wonders  that 
men  have  performed  through  the  aid  which  faith  gives 
to  them.  After  enumerating  a  long  list  of  heroes,  who 
through  faith  accomplished  mighty  deeds,  the  Apostle  con- 
cludes by  saying: 

"  And  what  shall  I  more  say?  for  the  time  would  fail 
me  to  tell  of  Gideon,  and  of  Barak,  and  of  Samson,  and 
of  Jepthae;  of  David  also,  and  Samuel,  and  of  the 
prophets ; 

"  Who  through  faith  subdued  kingdoms,  wrought  right- 
eousness, obtained  promises,  stopped  the  noDuths  of  lions, 

"  Quenched  the  violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the 


OF   A   FULCRUM  107 

sword,  out  of  weakness  were  made  strong,  waxed  valiant 
in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens." 

With  such  a  fulcrum  as  this  for  our  lever,  and  such  a 
guide  as  this  for  our  sight,  and  such  an  inspiration  as 
this  for  our  courage,  we  may  now  enter  upon  the  investi- 
gation of  the  great  questions  which  lie  before  us,  and 
which  must  more  or  less  occupy  the  attention  of  every 
well-equipped  minister  of  the  Gospel  who  assumes  to  keep 
in  touch  with  the  great  questions  which  are  to  the  fore  in 
this  inquiring,  active,  and  earnest  twentieth  century  age. 


THE   PEOBLEM    OP    SCIENCE 

From  one  point  of  view  the  problem  of  science  has  no 
necessary  troublesome  relation  to  the  preacher's  work.  It 
is  the  duty  of  the  preacher,  and  it  ought  to  be  his  high 
ambition,  to  study  carefully  and  reverently  nature  and 
nature's  laws.  There  is  a  point  of  view,  however,  from 
which  the  introduction  of  science  may  possibly  precipi- 
tate a  conflict  as  regards  faith. 

I  wish  to  state  with  the  utmost  frankness,  before  pro- 
ceeding any  further  with  this  subject,  that  I  do  not  believe 
there  are  any  just  grounds  for  bringing  science  and  faith 
into  antagonism.  The  same  God  who  made  the  universe 
made  the  Bible,  and  He  made  the  Bible  very  much  in  the 
same  way  that  He  made  the  universe.  He  used  instru- 
mentalities in  producing  both.  He  worked  through  laws, 
and  these  are  as  apparent  in  one  case  as  in  the  other.  It 
is  true  that  "  science  falsely  so-called "  may  antagonise 
the  faith,  and  a  perverted  faith  may  antagonise  a  per- 
fectly true  science;  but  a  true  faith  and  a  true  science 
must  necessarily  be  in  harmony  when  they  are  both  well 
understood,  and  are  placed  in  their  proper  relations 
towards  each  other. 

Just  here  is  where  much  of  the  difficulty  which  is  sup- 
posed to  exist  as  regards  science  and  faith  finds  its  origin. 
Many  do  not  understand  science,  or  else  give  to  it  a  place  i 
which  it  cannot  legitimately  occupy.  It  is  equally  true 
that  many  do  not  understand  the  faith,  or  the  religion 
of  the  Bible,  or  else  they  insist  that  this  faith  shall  become 

108 


OF   SCIENCE  109 

perfectly  blind  to  all  the  teaching  of  science.  However, 
these  extreme  views  must  be  abandoned,  if  we  would  have 
an  irenicon  between  the  two  great  factors  in  the  problem 
now  under  consideration. 

We  have  already  seen  how  important  faith  is  as  a  fun- 
damental principle  in  our  lives,  and  how  we  must  accept 
with  equal  respect  the  well-established  teaching  of  science. 
I  use  the  phrase  "well-established"  advisedly.  We  dare 
not  disturb  our  faith  with  mere  guesses.  The  very  word 
science  entirely  precludes  the  notion  that  the  guesses  can 
be  trusted.  We  must  Tcnow  things  before  we  can  speak 
confidently  with  respect  to  the  teaching  of  science.  Never- 
theless, this  is  precisely  where  many  are  inconsistent. 
They  protest  against  accepting  truth  which  cannot  be 
demonstrated  by  the  usual  scientific  methods,  and  yet 
as  a  matter  of  fact  they  virtually  accept  very  much  that 
has  little  more  basis  than  a  speculative  imagination. 

Of  course  much  might  be  said  on  the  same  grounds 
against  theologians.  They  are  also  fond  of  speculation, 
and  they  often  indulge  in  this  without  any  facts  whatever 
to  justify  either  their  premises  or  conclusions. 

But  these  are  habits  of  mind  and  not  characteristics  of 
either  science  or  faith.  What  men  do  is  one  thing;  what 
they  ougM  to  do  is  quite  another  thing.  What  is  true 
is  true  wherever  it  is  found,  no  matter  whether  it  be  in 
the  sphere  of  science  or  religion,  and  what  is  false  is  false 
whether  it  is  found  in  hell  or  in  heaven. 

From  an  important  point  of  view  faith  and  science  are 
one.  They  form  the  subject  and  predicate  of  a  sentence 
of  which  religion  is  the  copulative.  This  binds  them  to- 
gether, and  they  meet  in  it,  not  as  enemies,  but  as  ardent 
friends.  It  is,  however,  claimed  by  some  that  at  least  in 
three  respects  there  is  an  irreconcilable  conflict  between 
science  and  faith.    It  may  be  well  to  examine  somewhat 


no  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

carefully  this  contention,  as  it  cannot  be  denied  that  those 
who  take  this  position  are  somewhat  influential,  especially 
in  educational  circles. 

It  is  a  fact,  I  think,  and  a  fact,  too,  of  great  significance, 
that  this  antagonism  between  science  and  faith  finds  its 
chief  support  in  our  colleges  and  universities.  No  doubt 
the  breach  between  science  and  faith  within  our  educa- 
tional institutions  has  been  accentuated  beyond  what  the 
facts  will  justify.  Nevertheless,  after  making  due  allow- 
ance for  exaggeration,  it  is  still  true  that  much  of  the 
scepticism  of  the  present  time  finds  its  chief  support  pre- 
cisely where  it  ought  to  receive  its  complete  overthrow. 
Our  educational  institutions  ought  to  stand  for  a  rational 
faith  in  opposition  to  all  superstition  on  one  side  and 
"  science  so-called "  on  the  other ;  and  I  am  personally 
fully  persuaded  that  the  present  tendency  on  the  subject 
is  in  the  right  direction,  and  consequently  the  day  may 
not  be  far  distant  when  our  colleges  and  universities  will 
become  the  most  pronounced  centres  of  an  influence  in 
favour  of  the  religion  of  the  Bible.  At  any  rate  it  is  well 
for  us  to  note  the  points  of  apparent  conflict  between 
science  and  religion  that  our  preachers  at  least  may 
understand  clearly  what  they  will  have  to  contend  with 
in  adjusting  their  work  to  what  has  been  called  the  modern 
view  of  the  world.  Let  us  note  the  following  as  some  of 
the  special  points  of  the  supposed  conflict  between  science 
and  religion. 

(1)  There  is  supposed  to  be  an  irreconcilable  conflict 
between  the  doctrine  of  evolution  and  the  teaching  of  the 
Bible;  but  this  supposed  conflict  is  based  entirely  upon 
suppositions  which  are  not  necessarily  true.  Before  this 
matter  can  be  determined  with  any  satisfactory  assurance, 
it  is  necessary  for  us  to  know  precisely  what  is  meant  by 
the  doctrine  of  evolution  and  what  is  meant  by  the  teach- 


OF   SCIENCE  III 

ing  of  the  Bible.  There  is  undoubtedly  an  irreconcilable 
conflict  between  some  definitions  of  evolution  and  some 
definitions  of  Bible  teaching.  But,  as  has  already  been 
intimated,  both  of  these  may  be  wrong,  and  consequently 
we  cannot  proceed  with  any  reasonable  certainty  toward 
conclusions,  as  regards  the  matter  under  consideration, 
until  we  have  a  clearly  defined  statement  of  what  are  the 
things  that  are  supposed  to  be  in  conflict.  It  is  well 
known  that  evolution  is  somewhat  like  a  celebrated  doc- 
tor's fits.  Curing  fits  was  his  specialty,  and  when  sent 
for  to  treat  a  case  of  typhoid  fever,  he  frankly  stated  that 
he  knew  very  little  about  the  treatment  of  fever,  but  if 
he  could  turn  the  disease  into  fits,  he  was  quite  sure  he 
could  cure  the  patient,  as  he  was  "  death  on  fits."  Now 
there  are  a  few  scientific  doctors  who  claim  to  be  able  to 
cure  all  the  discords  in  the  universe  whenever  they  can 
turn  them  into  evolution,  for  they  are  great  on  evolution. 
With  them  this  is  the  omnipotent  key  which  unlocks  all 
mysteries,  explains  all  difficulties,  and  brings  harmony 
out  of  all  seeming  discords.  It  is  true  that  these  doctors 
differ  among  themselves  as  to  what  evolution  is,  but  they 
all  agree  that  no  matter  what  it  is,  it  is  the  sovereign 
remedy  for  all  the  disorders  in  the  universe. 

But  however  this  may  be,  it  seems  to  me  the  time  has 
come  when  no  one  should  be  frightened  at  the  word  evo- 
lution. It  is  quite  harmless  when  it  is  properly  defined 
and  wisely  used,  but  it  must  not  be  allowed  to  mean  any 
or  everything.  It  must  not  be  allowed  to  occupy  the  posi- 
tion that  the  term  "fits"  did  in  the  case  of  the  doctor 
to  whom  reference  has  been  made.  When  considered  from 
a  proper  point  of  view  I  think  we  are  all  evolutionists. 
Prof.  Le  Conte's  definition  is  very  popular  with  theistic 
evolutionists;  but  in  my  judgment  his  definition  needs 
considerable  amendment  before  it  can  be  entirely  satis- 


112  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

factory.  He  says,  "  Evolution  is  continuous  progressive 
change,  according  to  certain  laws  and  by  means  of  resident 
forces."  But  this  definition  does  not  account  for  the  laws, 
nor  the  resident  forces.  It  is  furthermore  doubtful  what 
is  meant  by  "  continuous  progressive  change."  According 
to  some  of  the  ablest  writers  on  the  subject  it  is  conceded 
that  this  " jtrogressive  change"  is  "continuous"  only 
through  certain  fixed  periods,  and  that  at  the  end  of  these 
periods  there  is  a  definite  "  break,"  after  which  a  new 
period  begins.  This  is  practically  the  position  of  Dr. 
Alfred  Russel  Wallace,  and  it  is  also  the  position  of 
many  other  able  writers  on  the  subject. 

It  may  be  impossible  to  construct  a  definition  of  evolu- 
tion which  will  be  entirely  satisfactory  to  all  who  are 
concerned  in  the  controversy  between  science  and  religion; 
but  in  my  recent  book,  entitled  "  Man  Preparing  For 
Other  Worlds,"  I  have  amended  Le  Conte's  definition,  so 
that  it  seems  to  me  the  whole  ground  is  practically  cov- 
ered. The  following  is  my  definition :  "  Evolution  is 
continuous  progressive  change  through  certain  fixed 
periods,  according  to  certain  laws  and  by  means  of  resi- 
dent forces,  which  laws  and  forces  are  supplied,  put  into 
operation  and  controlled  by  an  intelligent,  supernatural 
agent."  This  definition  makes  up  for  the  defects  in  Prof. 
Le  Conte's.  His  fails  to  recognise  any  place  for  miracle, 
and  yet  without  such  recognition  it  is  impossible  to 
account  for  many  facts  that  cannot  be  disputed.  How- 
ever, if  it  is  allowed  that  "  continuous  progressive  change  " 
may  be  broken  at  the  end  of  certain  periods,  and  then  a 
new  start  taken,  with  an  added  element  of  power  from 
without,  this  reasonable  concession  will  do  much  to  clarify 
the  atmosphere  and  also  remove  many  difficulties  which 
otherwise  would  be  encountered. 

The  old  doctrine  of  evolution,  as  set  forth  by  Darwin, 


OF   SCIENCE  113 

Spencer,  and  others,  is  no  longer  seriously  entertained  by 
either  well-informed  scientists  or  theologians.  It  has 
always  been  felt  that  some  definite,  unmistakable  starting 
point  must  be  assured  before  any  progress  whatever  can 
be  made  in  arriving  at  trustworthy  conclusions  with  regard 
to  either  the  origin  of  the  universe  or  the  laws  by  which 
it  is  governed.  It  does  not  help  us  much  to  say  that  the 
oak  comes  from  the  acorn,  and  then  in  turn  to  say  the 
acorn  comes  from  the  oak.  This  reasoning  will  have 
no  place  in  any  system  of  logic  where  intelligence  is  ad- 
mitted as  an  important  factor.  But  it  is  precisely  by  this 
method  of  reasoning  that  freshmen  and  sophomores,  and 
I  am  sorry  to  include  some  of  their  professors  also,  are 
wont  to  deride  the  notion  of  theistic  evolution  while 
virtually  contradicting  the  old  Latin  truism :  ""  Ex  nihilo 
nihil  fit" — Out  of  nothing  nothing  comes. 

Now  how  shall  the  preacher  deal  with  this  question  of 
evolution?  Doubtless  some  will  say  he  ought  not  to  deal 
with  it  at  all;  he  ought  to  let  it  alone.  But  a  thing 
that  is  in  the  air  cannot  always  be  let  alone.  However,  in 
this  case  there  is  no  need  that  evolution  should  be  let  alone. 
It  gives  a  helpful  view  of  the  universe,  and  is  equally 
important  as  a  key  to  the  moral  government  of  God.  But 
we  must  know  what  we  mean  when  we  talk  about  evolu- 
tion, and  we  must  mean  the  right  thing.  A  wild,  specu- 
lative tendency  with  respect  to  the  origin  of  things,  or 
even  as  regards  the  way  things  are  managed,  should  be 
avoided.  Nor  is  it  worth  while  to  be  always  or  even  fre- 
quently explaining  the  how  of  things.  The  preacher 
should  stick  to  the  fads,  whatever  these  may  be,  and  he 
need  not  trouble  himself  very  much  in  order  to  explain 
these  facts,  especially  when  any  explanation  may  be  open 
to  serious  objection.  Speaking  broadly,  it  is  best  not  to 
raise  questions  of  doubtful  disputation  which  engender 


114  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

strife  rather  than  edification  and  harmony.  A  preacher 
may  take  a  great  many  things  for  granted,  when,  if  an 
attempt  was  made  to  explain  them,  he  would  find  in  his 
audience  many  objectors.  In  the  main  the  preacher  should 
confine  himself  to  facts,  and  when  he  does  this  he  will 
not  have  much  difiBculty  with  evolution. 

One  thing,  however,  he  should  constantly  keep  in  view. 
He  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  important  consideration 
that  when  he  can  state  his  theological  conceptions  in  the 
language  of  science  he  ought  to  do  so,  for  this  will  help 
him  to  be  understood  by  a  large  class  of  people  who,  for 
the  most  part,  are  mystified  by  theological  terms.  Indeed, 
our  theological  terms  very  generally  need  a  reincarnation, 
or  at  any  rate,  to  have  a  rest,  while  terms  which  express 
the  current  ideas  of  modern  life  ought  to  be  substituted 
for  them.  This  whole  matter  of  terms  needs  careful  con- 
sideration. At  present  it  is  sufiicient  to  say  that  when 
our  theological  terms  shall  be  made  to  correspond  to  those 
used  by  men  of  science  and  men  in  the  commercial  world, 
it  is  probable  that  much  of  the  apparent  antagonism  be- 
tween religion  and  modern  life  will  cease  to  exist.  Any 
way,  the  preacher  must  use  such  terms  in  his  pulpit 
ministrations  as  will  reduce  this  antagonism  as  much  as 
possible.  He  has  no  right  to  use  his  pulpit  opportunity 
to  propagate  some  side  issue,  or  some  theory,  whether  sci- 
entific or  not,  when  he  knows,  by  doing  so,  he  will  only 
widen  the  breach  between  science  and  religion.  He  should 
do  everything  in  his  power  to  bring  these  two  into  har- 
mony, and  this  can  certainly  be  done  by  insisting  upon  a 
sensible  irenicon,  for  there  is  undoubtedly  no  real  conflict 
between  what  nature  teaches  and  what  the  Bible  teaches. 

Another  point  of  apparent  conflict  between  science  and 
religion  is  where  the  respective  historical  records  of  science 
and  religion  are  involved.    In  other  words,  the  testimony 


OF   SCIENCE  115 

of  the  rocks  is  supposed  to  contradict  the  testimony  of 
the  Bible,  as  regards  the  story  of  creation  as  well  as  other 
things.  It  is  assumed  by  some  distinguished  scientists 
that  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  cannot  be  accepted  as 
trustworthy  history,  and  some  theologians,  in  order  to 
meet  the  objection  of  scientists,  have  been  willing,  as  I 
believe,  to  concede  the  demands  of  these  scientists,  and 
consequently  have  constructed  various  theories  with  re- 
spect to  the  Bible  story  of  creation  so  as  to  satisfy  the 
conditions  of  the  case. 

At  present,  perhaps,  the  most  popular  theory  is  the  one 
which  assumes  that  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  is  prac- 
tically poetry;  at  any  rate  it  is  not  history;  it  is  at  least 
allegorical.  The  basis  of  this  remarkable  concession  is 
that  the  Bible  story  of  creation  is  not  intended  to  be 
history,  but  simply  a  graphic  presentation  for  the  purpose 
of  teaching  religion  rather  than  science. 

Now  this  seems  to  me  to  be  a  weak  defence  of  a  bad 
cause.  It  may  be  that  the  language  iised  in  the  graphic 
description  in  Genesis  ought  not  to  be  interpreted  in  the 
light  of  our  Western  ideas  without  due  consideration  for 
the  habits  of  oriental  languages.  However,  it  is  by  no 
means  certain  that  even  this  precaution  should  be  observed 
with  respect  to  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis.  While  the 
style  of  this  chapter  is  highly  picturesque,  and  sometimes 
marvellously  sublime,  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  any  one 
can  ever  show  conclusively  that  this  language  must  be 
accepted  as  only  metaphor  without  any  substantial  his- 
torical basis.  My  own  conviction  is  that  it  is  a  concise, 
beautiful,  and  wholly  trustworthy  statement  of  the  origin, 
lapse,  and  final  reconstruction  of  the  universe.  I  make 
this  statement  with  emphasis  advisedly.  I  believe  I  know 
the  ground  on  which  I  stand,  and  I  feel  confident  that 
it  is  solid  ground.    Furthermore,  I  feel  just  as  confident 


ii6  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

that  it  is  the  only  ground  that  will  stand  a  thorough  inves- 
tigation of  all  the  facts  of  the  case. 

It  will  help  to  understand  my  meaning  if  we  consider 
the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  as  embracing  three  distinct 
periods,  viz.: 

(1)  The  creative  period. 

(2)  The  chaotic  period. 

(3)  The  organic  period. 

It  seems  to  me  that  all  these  periods  are  distinctly 
marked  in  the  chapter.  Indeed,  without  such  division  as 
I  have  made  it  is  impossible  to  see  the  beautiful  harmony 
and  the  orderly  development  which  the  chapter  clearly 
teaches,  when  understood. 

Let  us  consider  these  periods  separately. 

(1)  The  creative  period.  The  first  verse  simply  states 
a  fact,  viz.,  that  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  in 
the  beginning  created  by  God.  Now  when  this  "  begin- 
ning'^  was  no  one  can  tell,  nor  is  it  necessary  for  us  to 
know.  It  may  have  been  millions  of  years  ago,  and  it 
may  have  been  only  a  few  thousand  years  ago.  With  God 
one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as 
one  day.  We  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about  time 
when  we  are  dealing  with  the  infinite.  When  we  do  so  we 
are  certain  to  confuse  ourselves  as  well  as  the  facts  of 
both  nature  and  the  Bible.  The  special  thing  that  the 
preacher  needs  to  emphasise  is  that  in  "  the  beginning,'^ 
whenever  that  was,  the  whole  cosmos  was  created  by 
God.  This  much  must  be  clearly  accepted  as  a  starting 
point  in  order  to  make  any  progress  whatever  in  dis- 
cussing the  origin  and  history  of  the  universe. 

(2)  The  chaotic  period.  The  language  of  the  second 
verse  may  be  rendered  somewhat  differently  from  what 
it  is  in  many  of  our  versions.  The  Hebrew  may  be  trans- 
lated as  follows :    "  The  earth  had  become  waste  and  wild, 


OF  SCIENCE  117 

and  darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  great  abyss/'  This 
language  clearly  indicates  that  there  had  been  an  over- 
throw, after  God  had  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 
In  other  words,  the  creative  period  was  followed  by  one 
of  chaos,  when  darkness  brooded  over  the  face  of  the 
great  abyss.  Now  just  how  this  overthrow  was  effected 
we  are  left  entirely  to  conjecture,  as  there  is  not  even  a 
hint  with  respect  to  the  cause  of  it.  However,  it  will  help 
us  to  remember  that  the  history  here  is  intended  to  be 
very  concise.  Whole  aeons  are  included  in  a  single  sen- 
tence. Nevertheless,  it  may  be  well  to  remember  that  this 
great  overthrow  of  the  physical  universe  is  quite  in  har- 
mony with  the  law  of  progression,  as  we  find  it  in  subse- 
quent history.  The  fall  of  man  in  Eden,  the  destruction 
of  the  world  by  a  flood,  and  the  death  of  all  men,  are 
examples  of  the  same  method  of  the  divine  government. 
It  seems  to  be  a  law  of  the  universe  that  everything 
must  pass  through  a  certain  overthrow,  or  collapse,  before 
it  can  reach  the  highest  point  of  development.  "  That 
which  thou  sowest  is  not  quickened  except  it  die.''  Blessed 
is  the  man  who  has  the  grace  to  fail,  for  when  he  rises 
out  of  this,  he  will  have  gained  immensely  by  the  struggle 
through  which  he  has  passed.  Truly  may  we  say  that  all 
history  does  emphasise  the  fact  that  the  darkest  hour  is 
just  before  day.  "  A  corn  of  wheat,  unless  it  dies,  abides 
alone;  but  if  it  dies  it  brings  forth  much  fruit."  The 
chaotic  period  of  darkness  was  followed  by  the  period  of 
light,  the  consideration  of  which  may  now  be  taken  up. 

(3)  The  organic  period.  This  period  was  introduced 
by  the  dissipation  of  darkness  through  that  sublime  fiat 
with  which  the  organic  period  began.  "  God  said  let 
there  be  light,  and  light  was."  The  successive  steps  of 
this  organic  period  are  all  distinctly  marked,  involving 
at  least  three  definite  creative  acts,  viz.,  the  creation  of 


Ii8  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

vitality^  the  creation  of  consciousness,  and  the  creation  of 
spirituality.  The  first  of  these  was  created  on  the  third 
day,  and  the  second  on  the  fifth  day,  and  the  third  on  the 
sixth  day. 

Now  all  this  is  in  harmony  with  what  science  teaches. 
In  fact,  it  is  doubtful  whether  one  hundred  of  the  most 
distinguished  geologists  of  the  present  day  could  come 
together  and  formulate,  in  the  same  space,  so  intelligent 
and  truthful  account  of  the  origin  and  development  of 
the  universe  as  is  given  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis. 
But  supposing  that  there  may  be  some  things  in  this  chap- 
ter not  quite  in  harmony  with  the  present  accepted  views 
of  geologists,  is  it  not  easier  to  believe  that  there  is  some- 
thing wrong  in  our  facts  as  to  either  the  Bible  or  nature, 
or  both,  than  that  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  is  simply 
poetry  or  fable  or  a  piece  of  guesswork?  The  science  of 
geology  is  only  about  a  hundred  years  old,  and  conse- 
quently the  writer  of  Genesis  could  not  have  known 
anything  about  it.  Now  is  it  not  inconceivable  that  this 
writer  could  have  produced  such  a  record  as  he  has  given 
unless  he  was  in  some  way  divinely  guided  to  state  the 
facts  as  he  has  done?  In  short,  the  first  chapter  of  Gene- 
sis is  the  miracle  of  miracles,  if  it  must  be  regarded  as 
a  piece  of  guesswork,  and  he  who  can  believe  that  such 
is  its  character  is  credulous  enough  to  believe  anything 
under  the  sun  when  it  suits  his  convenience  to  do  so. 
But  it  is  certainly  the  very  quintessence  of  absurdity  to 
suppose  that  the  author  of  Genesis  could  have  written  the 
account  we  have  in  our  possession  without  some  trust- 
worthy guidance  either  of  history  or  inspiration,  since  he 
evidently  knew  nothing  about  the  science  of  geology  as 
we  now  possess  it.  Consequently  it  is  much  easier,  from 
even  the  standpoint  of  science,  to  believe  that  the  writer 
was  divinely  guided  than  that  he  was  capable  of  guessing 


OF   SCIENCE  119 

the  facts  that  he  has  given  us,  even  though  some  of  these 
do  not  seem  to  quite  harmonise  at  every  point  with  what 
we  to-day  know  of  geology.  If,  in  a  few  things,  a  com- 
plete irenicon  between  science  and  the  Bible  has  not  been 
quite  established,  is  it  not  better  to  wait  for  a  fuller  knowl- 
edge of  both  science  and  the  Bible  than  to  reject  the  Bible 
with  so  much  truth  in  it  and  accept  of  science  even  when 
there  is  so  little  in  it  out  of  harmony  with  divine  reve- 
lation ? 

But  the  preacher  has  to  do  mainly  with  the  Christian 
religion,  and  it  may  be  well,  therefore,  to  notice  wherein 
this  religion  seems  to  be  open  to  attack  from  the  scientific 
point  of  view. 

The  three  great  facts  of  the  Christian  religion  are, 

(1)  The  existence  and  oversight  of  a  personal  God; 

(2)  The  redemptive  work  of  Christ; 

(3)  The  life  everlasting. 

Let  us  now  briefly  consider  these  in  reference  to  the  teach- 
ing of  science.  Evidently  science  does  not  contradict  the 
existence  and  supervision  of  the  universe  by  a  personal 
God.  But  as  the  scientist  deals  with  simply  the  laws  of 
nature,  he  may  conclude,  and  often  does  conclude,  that 
these  laws  are  responsible  for  everything  that  exists  as 
well  as  the  manner  of  its  existence.  But  this  is  a  non 
sequitur,  and  is  unworthy  of  those  who  make  the  state- 
ment. It  is  perfectly  true  that  the  reign  of  law  is  seen 
everywhere,  that  is  if  we  mean  by  the  reign  of  law, 
that  law  actually  exists  everywhere.  But  if  we  mean  that 
laws  have  power  in  themselves,  independent  of  the 
author  of  these  laws,  to  create  anything,  then  the  phrase 
"  reign  of  law "  is  entirely  misleading.  Law  does  not 
create  anything;  it  is  simply  the  method  by  which  the 
governor  acts.  Law  is  entirely  inoperative,  if  left  to 
itself.     That  is  precisely  why  there  are  three  distinct 


120  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

branches  in  our  own  government;  viz.,  the  Legislative, 
Judicial,  and  Executive.  The  Legislative  department 
makes  the  laws,  the  Judicial  department  interprets  them, 
and  the  Executive  department  executes  them.  Without 
the  Executive  all  our  laws  would  be  inoperative.  As 
regards  the  divine  government,  God  makes  the  laws,  in- 
terprets them,  and  executes  them.  He  unites  in  himself 
the  Legislative,  Judicial,  and  Executive  departments  of 
government. 

It  is  just  here  where  many  scientists  go  astray.  They 
try  to  explain  the  origin  of  things  by  the  existence  of  laws, 
without  accounting  for  how  these  laws  came  into  exist- 
ence or  by  what  force  they  are  operated.  It  is  like  saying 
a  watch  will  run  by  its  mainspring  without  accounting 
for  the  creation  of  the  mainspring  and  the  personal  super- 
vision which  winds  the  watch  every  day. 

It  is  freely  conceded  that  at  this  point  much  of  the 
scepticism  of  the  present  day  finds  its  beginning.  But 
there  is  no  need  for  this  at  all,  even  from  a  scientific  point 
of  view.  The  most  that  scientists  can  say  with  respect 
to  this  matter  is  that  the  existence  and  supervision  of  a 
God  may  not  be  satisfactorily  demonstrated  in  the  labora- 
tory. But  this  ought  not  to  be  expected.  God  is  not  of 
the  nature  that  He  can  be  subjected  to  the  test  of  crucibles 
and  retorts.  It  is  just  here  where  faith  comes  in  and 
supplies  what  science  is  impotent  to  give  us. 

The  preacher  must  not  try  to  prove  too  much.  A  robust 
faith  will  be  worth  more  to  him  frequently  than  all  the 
science  of  the  books.  He  needs  to  believe  much  of  even 
the  simplest  things. 

(2)  The  redemptive  work  of  Christ.  The  word  of  the 
cross  is  still  a  stumbling  block  to  the  Jew  and  foolish- 
ness to  the  Greek.  The  rationalistic  spirit  that  rejected 
the  redemptive  work  of  Christ  at  Corinth  is  still  an  im- 


OF   SCIENCE  121 

portant  factor  in  the  modern  world.  Science  really  has 
nothing  to  do  with  this  subject ;  but  in  spite  of  all  protests 
scientists  will  meddle  with  that  which  does  not  properly 
belong  to  the  sphere  of  their  investigations.  It  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  the  habit  of  mind  which  a  scientist  forms  is 
not  easily  checked  when  it  reaches  the  bounds  of  material 
things.  It  seeks  to  go  further,  and  often  presses  its 
inquiries  beyond  its  legitimate  domain.  Theology  does 
the  same  thing.  It  seeks  to  regulate  the  possibilities  of 
science  by  its  own  dimensions.  Both  of  these  habits  are 
likely  to  lead  to  illegitimate  conclusions. 

It  is  diflBcult  for  a  scientist,  who  subjects  everything 
to  physical  tests,  to  understand  the  nature  of  moral  evil 
or  how  this  must  be  dealt  with  in  order  to  overcome  its 
influence  in  the  progressive  development  of  the  world. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  nothing  in  the  well-established  laws 
of  nature  which  in  any  way  contradicts  the  Bible  doctrine 
of  sin.  The  groaning  of  nature  itself,  to  use  the  impres- 
sive figure  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  and  the  pathetic  waiting 
for  the  deliverance  of  the  creation  from  the  bondage  of 
corruption,  go  far  to  prove  that  sin  is  in  the  world  and 
must  be  dealt  with  in  some  way  in  order  that  its  ravages 
may  be  stopped. 

Now  there  are  only  three  ways  in  which  sin  can  be 
dealt  with,  so  far  as  I  can  see. 

In  the  first  place,  sin  may  he  let  alone.  In  this  case 
men  will  grow  worse  and  worse  and  the  world  will  become 
more  and  more  degraded.  This  is  an  alternative  which 
cannot  be  accepted  by  any  reasonable  man.  That  sin 
is  here  producing  its  fruits  no  one  will  seriously  question; 
and  it  is  equally  certain  that,  if  let  alone,  its  consequences 
will  be  evil  and  that  continually. 

In  the  second  place,  sin  may  he  punished.  This  was 
largely  the  divine  method  under  the  Jewish  dispensation. 


122  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

This  punishment  went  so  far  as  to  take  the  children  of 
Israel  into  captivity  and  subject  them  to  an  exile  in  a 
strange  land.  In  fact,  until  the  coming  of  Christ  the 
main  effort  was  to  restrain  sin  rather  than  to  put  it  away. 
The  law  simply  revealed  sin,  and  then  punished  it,  but 
did  not  eradicate  it  or  provide  a  permanent  cure  for  it. 

In  the  third  place,  sin  may  he  pardoned.  This  is  the 
Christian  way  of  dealing  with  it.  Just  here  we  meet  the 
redemptive  work  of  Christ.  "  He  became  sin  for  us,  who 
knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of 
God  in  Him.'' 

But  it  is  exactly  at  this  point  where  what  is  called 
scientific  scepticism  begins  to  make  its  strongest  protest. 
This  scepticism  will  not  accept  the  doctrine  of  the  atone- 
ment. It  utterly  refuses  to  believe  that  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ  was  necessary  in  order  to- the  salvation  of  the  world; 
hence  the  preaching  of  the  cross,  or  the  word  of  the  cross, 
is  to  them  who  perish  foolishness,  but  to  us,  who  are 
saved,  it  is  both  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God. 

It  is  just  at  this  point  where  the  preacher  will  find  one 
of  his  toughest  problems,  and  it  is  a  problem  with  which 
he  must  deal  in  order  to  satisfy  some  who  will  attend  his 
ministry.  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  problem  which  he  must 
handle  with  great  care.  Really  there  is  nothing  in  it, 
from  the  Christian  point  of  view,  that  in  the  slightest 
degree  contradicts  any  well-established  fact  in  nature. 
On  the  contrary  it  may  be  asserted  with  confidence  that 
the  word  of  the  cross  is  itself  in  perfect  line  with  the 
whole  working  of  nature,  and  that,  therefore,  the  redemp- 
tive work  of  Christ  is  thoroughly  in  harmony  with  the 
laws  of  nature,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  comprehend  these 
laws.  It  may  be  that  the  subject  of  the  atonement  is  too 
deep  for  the  finite  mind  to  fathom;  but  the  same  may 
be  said  of  the  physical  universe.     There  is  much  in  the 


OF   SCIENCE  123 

world  immediately  about  us  that  is  just  as  great  a  mystery 
as  anything  connected  with  the  salvation  of  souls.  How- 
ever, it  is  comforting  to  know  that  gradually  even  nature 
is  yielding  up  her  secrets,  and  that  all  these  secrets,  when 
revealed  to  us,  only  accentuate  the  beautiful  harmony 
which  exists  everywhere  in  all  the  works  of  God,  whether 
in  creation,  providence,  or  redemption. 

(3)  The  Life  Everlasting.  This  is  perhaps  the  most 
distinguishing  characteristic  of  Christianity  wherein  it 
seems  to  come  in  conflict  with  the  teaching  of  science.  It 
is  easier  to  believe  in  the  existence  and  supervision  of  a 
personal  God,  and  also  the  redemptive  work  of  Christ, 
than  to  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  The  doc- 
trine of  immortality  has  been  a  cardinal  belief  among  men 
since  at  least  the  dawn  of  history,  though  this  belief  has 
varied  much  in  its  forms  of  expression,  and  in  some  cases 
it  is  scarcely  entitled  to  be  called  a  belief  at  all.  But  it 
remained  for  Christianity  to  proclaim  the  startling  doc- 
trine of  the  resurrection,  and  this  is  based  chiefly  upon 
the  fact  that  the  Founder  of  Christianity  was  raised  from 
the  dead.  The  Apostle  Paul  makes  this  very  clear  in  the 
15th  chapter  of  1  Corinthians.  He  frankly  admits  that 
if  Christ  was  not  raised  from  the  dead  then  our  faith  is 
vain  and  we  are  yet  in  our  sins.  From  this  point  of  view 
it  is  evident  that  the  resurrection  of  Christ  must  be  predi- 
cated before  his  redemptive  work  can  be  regarded  as  effec- 
tive. Hence  the  three  great  fundamental  facts  of  the 
Gospel,  viz.,  the  death  of  Christ  for  our  sins,  according 
to  the  Scriptures,  his  burial,  and  his  resurrection  from 
the  dead  on  the  third  day,  according  to  the  Scriptures, 
must  be  affirmed  at  all  times  and  everywhere,  in  order 
to  proclaim  the  fulness  of  the  Gospel  message.  But 
science  sees  the  body  decay  and  return  to  its  mother  dust. 
It  does  not  see  it  raised  from  the  dead  in  any  such  manner 


124  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

as  makes  certain  the  life  everlasting;  and  consequently  it 
is  just  at  this  point  that  science  hesitates  with  respect  to  the 
future  life. 

But  why  this  hesitation  ?  "  Why  should  it  be  thought 
a  thing  incredible  that  God  should  raise  the  dead  ? " 
When  a  personal  God  is  postulated  there  ought  to  be  little 
difficulty  in  accepting  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection. 
Indeed,  there  is  much  in  the  teaching  of  science  which 
strongly  suggests  the  possibility  and  even  the  probability 
of  the  life  everlasting.  In  nature,  death  is  only  a 
change — there  is  really  no  annihilation.  All  the  processes 
of  nature  go  through  death  and  resurrection.  The  way 
to  life  is  always  by  death.    Truly  has  it  been  said : 

"Life  ever  more  is  fed  by  death 
In  earth  and  sea  and  sky ; 
And  that  a  rose  may  breathe  its  breath^ 
Something  must  die." 

Nevertheless,  it  is  important  for  us  to  maintain  that  the 
Christian  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  is  based  upon  faith, 
and  that  it  is  none  the  less  certain  on  that  account.  We 
have  already  seen  that  "  faith  is  the  foundation  of  things 
hoped  for — the  conviction  of  things  not  seen,^'  and  with- 
out this  faith  it  is  perhaps  impossible  for  any  one  to  be 
fully  assured  with  respect  to  the  life  everlasting.  Belief 
in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  after  all  based  upon  tes- 
timony. This  testimony,  when  thoroughly  sifted,  is  over- 
whelmingly conclusive.  Undoubtedly  there  is  nothing  in 
the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  which  is  contrary  to 
science,  though  it  is  possible  for  those  who  do  not  believe 
the  testimony  of  the  Bible  to  become  at  least  agnostics 
with  regard  to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead;  but  agnosti- 
cism is  not  science;  it  is  simply  a  negation,  and  conse- 
quently does  not  affirm  anything. 


OF   SCIENCE  125 

However,  the  preacher  will  find  that  he  will  be  com- 
pelled to  deal  with  the  problems  suggested  by  the  Chris- 
tian affirmation  concerning  the  existence  of  a  personal 
God,  the  redemptive  work  of  Christ,  and  the  life  everlast- 
ing. Still,  it  may  be  well  for  him  to  remember  that,  after 
all,  the  breach  between  science  and  faith  is  not  so  great 
as  some  would  make  believe.  Since  the  time  when  Prof. 
Christlieb  published  his  splendid  work  on  "  Modern 
Doubt  and  Christian  Belief,"  the  chasm  between  science 
and  religion  has  been  perceptibly  bridged  over,  and  there 
is  now  among  the  most  thoughtful  men  a  very  decided 
belief  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  a  satisfactory 
irenicon  will  be  accepted  by  both  parties  to  the  contro- 
versy, and  that  ultimately  both  science  and  religion  will 
become,  what  they  ought  to  be,  coordinates  and  helpers 
in  the  great  work  of  saving  and  beautifying  the  world. 

It  should  also  be  remembered  that  the  breach  between 
science  and  faith  never  has  been  so  wide  as  noisy  sceptics 
have  indicated.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  great  scientific 
men  of  the  world  are  neither  irreligious  nor  even  un-Chris- 
tian.  Eecently  Dr.  Dennert,  of  Berlin,  collected  informa- 
tion concerning  300  prominent  men  of  science  in  ancient 
and  modern  times.  He  found  that  242  of  these  believed 
in  God,  38  gave  no  information  whatever  as  to  their 
belief,  15  were  either  agnostics  or  inclined  to  disbelief, 
and  only  five  avowed  themselves  to  be  anti-Christian  ma- 
terialists. 

This  is  a  startling  induction,  but  it  goes  to  show  that 
even  five  noisy  sceptics  can  make  half  of  the  Christian 
world  believe  that  the  religion  of  Christ  is  rapidly  giving 
way  before  the  onward  march  of  science;  and  this,  too, 
right  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that  in  no  other  period  of  the 
history  of  Christianity  have  there  been  such  rapid  strides 
made  in  achieving  unmistakable  triumphs  as  at  the  pres- 


126  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

ent  time.  Facts  are  said  to  be  stubborn  things,  and  when 
the  claims  of  scepticism  are  subjected  to  the  real  facts  of 
the  case,  there  is  certainly  nothing  in  the  present  outlook 
to  discourage  even  the  timid  with  respect  to  the  ultimate 
success  of  the  Christianity  of  the  New  Testament.  The 
one  thing  the  preacher  needs  to  do  is  to  stick  to  his 
guns,  keep  on  the  firing-line;  and  while  he  should  wel- 
come every  real  scientific  discovery  as  a  part  of  his  equip- 
ment for  service,  he  should,  at  the  same  time,  keep 
prominently  in  his  own  heart  and  also  before  his  people 
the  transcendent  and  glorious,  fact  that  the  religion  of 
Christ  is,  first  of  all,  a  religion  of  faith,  and  not  specially 
of  science. 


XV 

PHILOSOPHICAL    PEOBLEMS 

Philosophy  is  as  old  as  the  human  race.  With  the  first 
dawn  of  reasoning  is  born  the  everlasting  why.  Men  will 
ask  questions.  The  thirst  for  knowledge  has  been  both 
the  shame  and  glory  of  mankind.  It  was  this  thirst  that 
precipitated  the  tragedy  in  Eden.  But  this  was  seeking 
for  illegitimate  knowledge.  As  the  ruin  came  by  using 
a  good  thing  unlawfully,  the  rescue  must  come  by  using 
the  same  thing  lawfully.  There  was  not  so  much  in  the 
thing  itself  by  which  our  first  parents  were  tempted,  as 
in  the  illegitimate  use  of  that  thing.  It  had  been  for- 
bidden, and  the  partaking  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil  was  a  clear  and  unequivocal  dis- 
obedience of  the  divine  command.  God  had  said  that  of 
the  fruit  of  this  tree  they  should  not  eat,  and  He  had 
given  no  reason  why  this  fruit  should  be  prohibited,  ex- 
cept that  an  evil  result  would  follow.  The  serpent  at 
once  became  a  philosopher,  and  presented  his  reasons  why 
the  command  of  God  should  be  disobeyed. 

Here  is  just  where  we  find  the  key  to  all  philosophic 
questions.  As  long  as  our  inquiries  are  legitimate,  or,  in 
other  words,  in  harmony  with  the  commands  of  God,  so 
long  may  we  be  sure  that  we  are  in  the  bounds  of  safety. 
But  when  our  inquiries  go  beyond  what  is  written,  we  at 
once  begin  to  traverse  dangerous  ground. 

As  already  intimated,  men  have  always  been  philoso- 
phers, but  not  very  many  yet  understand  philosophy. 
They  ask  questions,  but  cannot  answer  them  in  any  satis- 

127 


128  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

factory  manner;  and  it  often  happens  that  theif  questions 
are  prompted  by  an  unlawful  spirit  which  has  little  or  no 
respect  whatever  for  divine  authority.  But  we  have 
already  seen  that  divine  authority  is  the  boundary  line 
to  human  investigation,  and  any  effort  to  pass  beyond  this 
is  sure  to  lead  to  fatal  consequences. 

However,  it  is  certain  that  the  preacher  will  have  to 
deal  with  some  philosophical  questions,  and  a  few  sugges- 
tions with  regard  to  this  inevitable  service  may  be  helpful, 
especially  to  young  preachers.  The  following  is  submitted 
as  the  best  way  to  deal  with  these  questions : 

(1)  No  preacher  should  hold  himself  bound  to  explain 
all  the  difficulties  of  either  nature  or  grace.  It  has  been 
truly  said  a  child  may  ask  more  questions  in  a  minute 
than  the  wisest  man  can  answer  in  a  lifetime.  It  does 
not  necessarily  imply  ignorance  upon  the  part  of  the 
preacher  because  he  cannot  explain  everything  in  the  uni- 
verse. Some  of  the  simplest  things  with  which  we  have  con- 
stantly to  do  are  entirely  beyond  our  comprehension.  It 
is  generally  better  to  be  frank  with  the  people  than  to 
attempt  a  solution  of  difficulties  which  we  ourselves  do 
not  understand. 

I  desire  to  emphasise  this  point  because  pride  of  intel- 
lect sometimes  controls  the  preacher  and  leads  him  into 
speculations  which  are  neither  good  for  himself  nor  for 
those  whose  doubts  he  is  seeking  to  allay.  Better  by  far 
is  it  to  own  our  ignorance  than  to  display  it  in  an  effort 
to  be  wise.  Honest  ignorance  is  always  superior  to  ed- 
ucated hypocrisy.  Pretence  will  never  pass  muster  for 
any  length  of  time.  It  may  have  a  short  run  of  success, 
but  it  will  as  certainly  finally  come  to  grief  as  that  it 
has  no  foundation  on  which  to  stand.  It  has  been  true, 
and  will  forever  be  true,  that 


PHILOSOPHICAL  PROBLEMS  129 

"Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again, — 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 
While  Error,  wounded,  writhes  with  pain, 
And  dies  among  his  worshippers." 

'(2)  The  average  church  attendant  is  not  benefited  by 
philosophical  disquisitions  in  the  pulpit.  Most  people 
who  attend  church  do  not  care  to  hear  profound  dis- 
cussions concerning  philosophical  matters.  They  go  to 
church  in  order  to  receive  help  for  the  struggle  of  life. 
They  are  more  interested  in  the  facts  about  them  than 
they  are  in  the  philosophical  treatment  of  these  facts. 
They  may  ask  questions,  and  doubtless  will  frequently, 
but  these  questions  have  their  origin  in  an  innate  curiosity 
rather  than  in  any  practical  consideration  of  the  matters 
involved.  A  good  cure  for  any  unlawful  speculative  ten- 
dency is  a  strong  appeal  to  the  facts  themselves  rather 
than  the  explanation  of  these  facts.  Take  an  illustration 
or  two.  Every  one  will  admit  that  sin  is  a  real  fact.  "No 
one  may  be  able  to  explain  satisfactorily  how  it  entered 
the  world  or  why  it  entered.  However,  as  a  matter  of 
fact  it  is  here,  and  consequently  we  must  deal  with  it  in 
the  wisest  possible  manner,  no  matter  what  its  philosophy 
may  be.  Death  is  also  here,  and  no  sort  of  reasoning  can 
abolish  death  or  mitigate  its  terrors  without  the  antidote 
which  has  been  provided  in  the  Gospel  scheme.  In  this 
practical  way  the  preacher  may  keep  out  of  deep  water 
wherein  he  may  drown  himself,  as  well  as  his  audience. 

(3)  The  foregoing  suggestions  must  not  be  regarded  as 
excluding  legitimate  inquiry  into  any  problem  of  either 
Physiology,  Psychology,  or  Pneumatology.  Man  himself 
comprehends  within  himself  a  real  microcosm.  He  is  a 
world  in  miniature,  he  is  a  universe  in  meaning.  It  would 
be  unlike  man,  and  would  certainly  not  be  manly,  if  he 


130  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

failed  to  seek  to  become  acquainted  with  all  tlie  parts  of 
his  vast  habitation.  Doubtless  he  will  never  be  able  to 
comprehend  everything  within  the  universe  which  consti- 
tutes his  immediate  environment,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
illimitable  domain  which  he  may  occupy  in  the  future. 
But  every  instinct  of  his  nature  ought  to  impel  him  to 
equip  himself  with  all  the  legitimate  knowledge  that  may 
come  to  him  through  earnest  study  of  both  the  laws  of 
nature  and  of  grace.  But  this  is  a  very  different  thing 
from  that  tendency  to  which  attention  has  been  called  of 
seeking  to  answer  unlawful  questions  which  engender  strife 
rather  than  contribute  to  edification.  Philosophy  undoubt- 
edly has  its  proper  place,  and  in  that  place  it  may  be  used 
for  the  best  interests  of  the  spiritual  development,  but 
when  used  unlawfully  it  is  sure  to  lead  to  spiritual  pa- 
ralysis, if  not  to  spiritual  death. 


XVI 

ETHICAL    PKOBLEMS 

Ethical  problems  have  undoubtedly  been  somewhat 
modified  by  the  modern  view  of  the  world.  The  science 
of  conduct  cannot  fail  to  be  an  important  study  for  the 
preacher,  and  should  at  least  furnish  him  with  much  valu- 
able material  for  his  pulpit  ministrations;  and  yet  ethics, 
after  all,  is  a  normative  science  rather  than  a  practical 
science.  Ethics  has  to  do  with  an  end  or  an  ideal,  and 
this  distinguishes  it  from  most  other  sciences.  It  deals 
not  so  much  with  what  actually  is  as  with  what  ouglit  to 
be.  Hence  the  word  "ought"  is  the  greatest  word  in 
ethical  science.  It  suggests  the  high  ideal,  or  the  summum 
honum,  of  all  true  living,  and  this  high  ideal,  though  not 
of  the  nature  of  practical  science,  is,  nevertheless,  closely 
allied  to  the  practical  in  all  that  relates  to  conduct.  In- 
deed, the  study  of  the  ideal  in  conduct  is  rather  philosoph- 
ical than  scientific,  and  consequently,  if  we  take  this  view  of 
the  matter,  ethics  is  more  closely  related  to  philosophy 
than  it  is  to  science. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  much  in  ethics  which  concerns 
the  preacher,  and  especially  will  he  find  on  the  practical 
side  of  ethics  a  great  deal  that  will  command  his  most 
careful  and  prayerful  consideration.  He  need  not  trouble 
himself  with  the  historical  development  of  ethical  ideas. 
In  the  wilderness  of  these  ideas  he  may  soon  lose  himself 
entirely,  and  also  utterly  confuse  the  minds  of  his  hearers. 
But  it  may  be  well  for  him  to  acquaint  himself  thoroughly 
with  some  of  the  ethical  systems  of  the  present  day,  and, 
at  any  rate,  he  will  be  compelled  to  deal  with  some  of  the 

131 


132  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

popular  ethical  ideas  which  are  at  present  current  among 
scholars  and  thinkers. 

One  of  these  ideas  is  comprehended  in  what  has  been 
called  the  problem  of  knowledge  and  the  problem  of  value. 
Now  there  is  really  nothing  new  in  the  new  apologetics 
which  is  supposed  to  come  out  of  an  attempt  at  harmony  be- 
tween these  two  problems.  The  problem  of  knowledge  and 
the  problem  of  value  are  as  old  as  man  himself.  Indeed, 
both  of  these  problems  were  involved  in  the  prohibition 
which  God  proclaimed  to  Adam  in  the  Garden  of  Eden. 
However,  these  problems,  in  our  modern  life,  are  supposed 
to  require  a  new  interpretation  and  a  new  setting  in  order 
to  fit  what  has  been  called  the  new  view  of  the  world. 

In  this  new  treatment  of  these  old  problems  a  great 
mistake  has  been  made  in  assuming  that  the  problem  of 
value  does  not  in  any  way  depend  upon  the  problem  of 
knowledge.  This  view  is  practically  nothing  more  than  the 
utilitarian  view  of  conduct,  and  which  is  no  longer  very 
seriously  considered  by  the  best  thinkers  of  the  age.  While 
the  categorical  imperative  of  Kant  gives  us  form  with- 
out content,  utilitarianism  gives  us  content  without  form. 
Neither  of  these  gives  us  the  whole  truth,  as  we  shall  see 
when  we  have  proceeded  a  little  further  with  our  present 
discussion. 

To  illustrate  the  view  I  am  now  antagonising,  the  rain- 
bow has  been  used  by  some  speakers  and  writers.  By  these 
it  is  declared  that  the  rainbow  is  equally  beautiful  to  the 
man  who  does  not  understand  its  cause  and  the  man  who 
does;  and  from  this  fact  the  conclusion  is  drawn  that  the 
character  of  Christ  is  just  as  beautiful  if  we  know  nothing 
about  his  origin  as  it  is  when  we  are  sure  that  He  is  the 
only  begotten  son  of  God.  In  short,  it  is  declared  that 
Christ  may  have  come  up  out  of  humanity  just  as  others 
have  come  up  out  of  it,  and  stiU  be  the  incomparable,  un- 


ETHICAL   PROBLEMS  133 

approachable  example  for  all  human  living,  and  conse- 
quently we  may  regard  it  as  a  great  gain  for  the  sake  of 
practical  results,  if  the  question  of  knowledge  can  be  elim- 
inated from  the  problem  of  Christ. 

Now  all  this  may  seem  plausible  to  some  thinkers,  and 
probably  not  a  few  may  be  found  who  sympathise  with 
this  view  of  the  matter.  But,  after  all,  it  must  be  dis- 
tinctly affirmed  that  the  whole  argument  by  which  this 
view  is  sustained  is  based  upon  a  series  of  subtle  fallacies 
which,  when  eliminated,  leaves  the  contention  without  the 
shadow  of  a  shade  of  foundation  upon  which  to  rest. 

Now,  there  are  just  three  ways  in  which  we  may  explain 
the  things  of  the  present  life.  One  is  the  explanation  by 
heginning.  This  is  mainly  the  scientific  method.  It  is 
in  this  way  we  explain  ordinary  natural  phenomena.  We 
go  back  to  the  origin  or  beginning,  at  least  as  far  back 
as  it  is  possible  for  us  to  go,  and  then  trace  the  causes  that 
have  been  in  operation  throughout  the  whole  development 
of  the  subject  under  discussion.  We  do  not  ask  what  the 
end  is  or  will  be. 

But  is  it  possible  to  study  ethics  or  religion  in  precisely 
this  same  fashion?  We  shall  see  how  this  will  work  out, 
when  we  have  advanced  a  little  further. 

The  second  method  of  explaining  things  is  by  the  process 
of  development.  This  is  largely  the  view  of  Mr.  Herbert 
Spencer  and  many  other  evolutionists. 

There  is  still  a  third  view  which  makes  explanation  by 
the  end,  and  this  assumes  that  everything  must  be  tested 
by  the  end  or  ideal  which  is  before  us. 

Now  let  us  return  to  the  problem  of  values  which  has 
already  been  mentioned,  and  especially  to  the  illustration 
of  the  rainbow  to  which  reference  has  been  made. 

While  I  would  not  for  a  moment  wish  you  to  consider 
physical  things,  as  regards  their  value,  as  of  the  same 


134  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

class  with  moral  or  spiritual  things,  at  the  same  time  it 
may  be  stated  with  confidence,  I  think,  that  the  illustra- 
tion used  does  not  illustrate.  It  is  not  true,  never  was 
true,  and  never  will  be  true,  in  my  judgment,  that  the 
beauty  of  the  rainbow  is  equal  to  the  man  who  knows  noth- 
ing about  its  origin  and  purpose  and  to  the  man  who  does. 
Is  the  value  of  a  physical  gift  influenced  in  no  way  by 
the  question  as  to  who  is  the  giver?  and  the  further  ques- 
tion, as  to.  why  the  gift  is  bestowed  ?  Is  not  our  sense  of 
beauty  almost  immeasurably  augmented  by  the  increment 
of  knowledge  with  respect  to  both  the  origin  and  the  end 
of  that  beauty?  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  a  waste  of  time 
to  answer  such  questions  as  this,  and  I,  therefore,  at  once 
proceed  to  another  phase  of  the  subject. 

We  have  been  speaking  of  physical  beauty,  but  the  real 
question  before  us  is  moral  beauty;  and  here  the  incre- 
ment of  knowledge  is  of  vastly  more  importance.  Jesus 
Christ  claimed  that  He  had  a  divine  origin,  and  that  He 
came  into  the  world  for  a  certain  end.  Now  if  this  is  not 
true,  the  beauty  of  his  character,  as  we  at  present  see 
it,  would  diminish  immeasurably.  Looked  at  from  a  one- 
sided view,  the  cross  itself  is  exceedingly  repulsive,  but 
when  we  understand  its  origin  and  purpose  or  end,  its 
repulsiveness  disappears,  and  we  can  say  with  the  Apostle, 
"  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto 
me  and  I  unto  the  world." 

But  we  are  told  that  the  statements  of  Christ's  relation 
to  the  Father  and  his  divine  origin  are  biblical  statements, 
and  that  the  scientific  spirit  of  the  age  will  not  accept 
these  statements  without  scientific  verification.  But  how 
then  do  we  know  that  any  such  person  as  Jesus  the  Christ 
ever  lived  upon  this  earth?  Is  it  possible  for  us  to  take 
the  evidence  concerning  his  life  and  character  into  the 


ETHICAL   PROBLEMS  135 

laboratory  and  subject  this  evidence  to  the  tests  of  crucibles 
and  retorts?  Who  has  ever  required  such  a  test  before 
concerning  any  historical  fact?  Scientific  evidence  is  one 
thing  and  historical  evidence  is  quite  another,  and  yet  there 
are  places  where  they  run  parallel.  Many  of  our  books  of 
science  were  made  by  men  who  are  now  dead  and  who  could 
not  bring  their  evidence  into  the  laboratory.  It  is  true 
that  much  of  this  evidence  may  be  put  to  the  test  in  the 
laboratory  by  others,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  this  is  very 
seldom  done  for  the  purpose  of  verifying  the  statements 
made.  Usually  these  statements  are  accepted  upon  the 
testimony  of  the  witnesses  who  have  themselves  worked 
out  the  problem.  Perhaps  nine-tenths  of  our  scientific 
knowledge  may  be  regarded  as  wholly  belonging  to  matters 
of  faith.  As  has  already  been  remarked,  we  learn  our 
alphabet  by  faith.  We  learn  our  mathematics  in  the  same 
way.  We  do  not  question  that  two  and  two  are  four,  while 
it  is  probable  that  not  one  in  five  hundred  thousand  of 
even  educated  men  have  ever  taken  the  trouble  to  demon- 
strate the  fact  by  appealing  it  to  the  higher  mathematics. 

In  a  word,  faith  is  the  fundamental  element  in  all  our 
reasoning,  whether  that  reasoning  relates  to  natural  science 
or  to  religion.  Hence,  the  nonsense  of  supposing  that  it 
is  necessary  to  demonstrate  in  the  laboratory  by  actual  ex- 
periment the  claim  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  absurdity  of 
absurdities  is  couched  in  this  unreasonable  demand. 

But  let  me  ask  again,  how  do  we  know  that  such  a  per- 
son as  Jesus  Christ  ever  lived  upon  this  earth,  if  the  rigid 
demands  of  scientific  inquiry  must  be  met?  The  men  who 
hold  the  view  I  am  criticising  always  give  us  a  very  beauti- 
ful picture  of  the  character  of  Jesus.  But  where  do  they 
get  the  material  with  which  to  make  this  picture?  Did 
it  ever  occur  to  them  that  they  are  indebted  to  the  New 


136  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Testament  for  all  that  they  know  about  Christ,  for  all 
that  proclaims  his  divine  origin,  supernatural  birth,  and 
his.  resurrection  from  the  grave  ?  Now  how  can  they  claim 
the  authority  of  the  New  Testament  for  the  material  so 
freely  used  while  forming  an  estimate  of  his  character, 
and  then  reject  its  authority  for  the  facts  that  establish 
his  divinity  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  the  legs  of  the  lame  are 
unequal,  and  at  any  rate  the  logic  of  these  men  would 
compel  us  to  get  rid  of  Christ  entirely,  and  therefore  leave 
the  world  destitute  of  that  beautiful  personality  which  is 
to-day  the  most  potent  influence  in  the  world's  moral 
uplift. 

It  is  furthermore  true  that  there  is  always  great  danger 
in  illustrating  the  moral  life  by  physical  things,  or  by  the 
development  of  the  animal  kingdom.  The  latter  may  help 
us  somewhat  in  understanding  how  the  moral  life  actually 
develops,  but  history  deals  with  what  has  been,  and  not 
with  what  ought  to  have  been.  Consequently  any  reference 
to  the  history  of  animal  development  or  of  physical  beauty 
utterly  fails  to  account  for  why  we  should  choose  the  moral 
life.  Undoubtedly  the  moral  life  has  to  do  with  relative 
values:  but  why  should  we  prefer  one  value  to  another? 
Or  why  should  we  prefer  one  kind  of  conduct  over  another  ? 
What  is  it  that  determines  our  preference  in  such  cases? 
And  why  is  one  preference  better  than  another?  If  it  be 
said  that  any  particular  thing  is  valued  simply  because  it 
"  functions  serviceably,"  or  works  well,  then  "  why  does  it 
do  this  ?  "  may  be  asked  with  all  the  emphasis  we  can  com- 
mand. And  what  is  meant  by  the  good  to  which  it  does 
contribute?  Why  is  a  certain  line  of  conduct  good  and 
anothei*  evil?  It  will  not  do  to  say  that  the  good  is  that 
which  adapts  itself  to  our  environment  and  the  evil  is 
that  which  interferes.  Why  should  we  wish  to  adapt  any- 
thing to  our  present  environment?    Why  not  begin  at  the 


ETHICAL   PROBLEMS  137 

other  end  of  the  line  by  disturbing  our  environment  and 
making  it  conform  to  our  ideal  of  the  good? 

This  thought  is  fully  developed  by  Sorley  in  his  "  Ethics 
of  Naturalism."  "  A  man  might  quite  reasonably  ask  why 
he  should  adopt  as  maxims  of  conduct  the  laws  seen  to 
operate  in  nature?  The  end,  in  this  way,  is  not  made  to 
follow  from  the  natural  function  of  man.  It  is  simply  a 
mode  in  which  the  events  of  the  world  occur ;'  and  we  must, 
therefore,  give  a  reason  why  it  should  be  adopted  as  his 
end  by  the  individual  agent.  To  him  there  may  be  no 
sufficient  ground  of  inducement  to  become  a  self-conscious 
agent  in  the  evolution  of  the  universe."  From  a  purely 
evolutionist  point  of  view,  no  definite  attempt  has  been 
made  to  solve  the  difficulty.  It  seems  really  to  go  no 
deeper  than  Dr.  Johnson's  reply  to  Boswell,  when  the 
latter  plagued  him  to  give  a  reason  for  action :  "  Sir," 
said  he,  in  an  animated  tone,  "  it  is  driving  on  the  system 
of  life." 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  point  where  I  think  it  is 
possible  to  ask,  may  we  not  set  ourselves  directly  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  stream  of  development  which  Mr.  Spencer 
traces,  instead  of  promoting  it?  and  in  doing  so,  may  we 
not  find  that  the  things  that  "function  serviceably  "  are 
the  very  things  that  must  be  overcome  before  it  is  possible 
for  us  to  reach  any  worthy  ideal  of  conduct?  And  this 
being  true,  then  it  must  be  evident  to  the  veriest  tyro  in 
moral  philosophy  that  we  cannot  possibly  determine  our 
course  of  conduct  by  that  which  simply  fits  into  our  en- 
vironment and  works  well.  The  ideal  must  become  the 
explanation  of  the  process,  and  not  the  process  the 
explanation  of  the  ideal.  It  may  be  that  we  wiU  have  to 
go  through  the  process  in  order  to  reach  the  ideal,  but  our 
explanation  of  the  moral  life  must  be  from  the  end  and 
not  from  the  beginning,  although  it  is  possible  to  coordi- 


138  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

nate  this  ideal  with  both  the  beginning  and  process  so 
that  they  may  serviceably  contribute  to  a  clearer  under- 
standing of  the  whole  subject. 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  considerations  it  must  be  evi- 
dent that  the  problem  of  science  in  religion  must  not  be 
allowed  to  overshadow  the  problem  of  religion  itself.  It 
is  possible,  while  explaining  religion,  by  what  is  called  the 
scientific  method,  to  explain  it  all  away.  Indeed,  that  is 
just  what  those  do  to  whom  reference  has  already  been 
made.  They  are  evidently  shooting  at  something,  but  as 
a  matter  of  fact  their  success  is  like  that  of  the  man  who 
shot  at  the  porcupine.  In  describing  the  matter,  the  man 
said,  "  The  first  time  I  shot  at  it,  I  missed  it ;  and  the 
second  time  I  shot  at  it,  I  hit  it  where  I  missed  it  the 
first  time."  These  men  take  two  shots  at  Christianity. 
The  first  is  from  a  philosophical  gun  and  the  second  from 
a  scientific  gun.  The  first  time  they  shoot  at  it,  they 
miss  it,  and  the  second  time  they  shoot  at  it,  they  hit  it 
where  they  missed  it  the  first  time. 

It  is  certainly  a  great  relief  to  turn  away  from  the  ethical 
theories  of  men  to  the  plain,  simple,  yet  comprehensive 
ethics  of  Christ.  His  system  of  ethics  is  practically  set 
forth  in  his  own  personality.  He  exemplified  what  He 
wishes  us  to  practise.  We  are  no  longer  under  the  dom- 
inance of  mere  rules,  however  valuable  these  rules  may 
be  in  themselves.  We  are  under  Him.  Even  Moses  cannot 
teach  us  the  full  extent  of  our  ethical  obligations.  Jesus 
gives  us  a  summary  of  the  law,  but  this  is  simply  the  law, 
no  more,  no  less.  It  is  certainly  not  the  Gospel.  What 
has  been  called  the  Golden  Rule,  viz.,  that  "  we  must  do 
unto  others  as  we  would  have  them  do  unto  us,"  is,  after 
all,  not  even  silver;  indeed,  in  the  highest  reach  of  ethics, 
it  is  not  respectable  pewter.  It  simply  represents  Judaism, 
and  was  for  the  Jew.  For  mere  political  purposes  it  is 
not  without  a  certain  value;  but  it  reaches  no  higher  than 


ETHICAL   PROBLEMS  139 

self,  and,  in  its  application,  it  is  easily  perverted  to  intense 
selfishness. 

But  the  teaching  of  Jesus  is  as  much  higher  than  this 
Jewish  rule  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth.  He 
never  taught  that  the  Jewish  rule  was  his  rule,  nor  did  He 
endorse  that  rule  as  the  measure  of  ethical  responsibility. 
He  simply  gave  a  summary  of  the  law  of  Moses  in  which 
this  rule  was  included. 

However,  when  He  comes  to  give  us  the  true  ethical 
standard.  He  makes  his  love  for  us  that  standard.  We 
must  love  one  another  as  He  loved  us.  This  at  once  lifts 
us  out  of  ourselves  into  Him,  for  guidance  and  help.  When 
we  wish  to  know  what  we  should  do,  in  a  given  case,  we 
have  only  to  find  out  what  He  would  do  or  what  He  would 
have  us  do  in  such  a  case.  This  personal  reference  to  Him 
makes  Him  the  arbiter  of  our  actions,  and  not  our  own 
selfish  conceptions  of  duty.  We  must  do  what  He  would 
do,  we  must  love  as  He  loved,  we  must  walk  as  He  walked. , 

Of  course  we  must  study  his  teaching  in  order  to  know 
what  He  would  do  in  any  given  case.  This  teaching  is  not 
confined  to  any  particular  chapter  or  chapters  of  the  New 
Testament.  It  really  comprehends  all  the  teaching  of 
all  the  books  of  that  Testament.  Nevertheless,  it  is  well 
to  remember  that  a  very  comprehensive  summary  of  Christ's 
ethical  teaching  may  be  found  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
This  sermon  is  full  of  the  seeds  of  things.  It  covers 
nearly  the  whole  ground  of  our  ethical  responsibilities, 
consequently  every  preacher  should  study  this  sermon  most 
prayerfully,  and  at  the  same  time  he  should  use  it  con- 
stantly in  guiding  his  people  in  their  relations  to  one 
another.  In  short,  it  should  be  the  Christian  minister's 
manual  for  moral  conduct,  and  he  who  uses  this  sermon 
wisely  and  well  will  thereby  be  able  to  do  much  for  his 
hearers  in  stimulating  them  to  a  high  attainment  in  the 
spiritual  life. 


XVII 

THEOLOGICAL    PKOBLEMS 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  during  the  latter  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century  there  was  a  decided  reaction  against 
theology.  This  reaction  is  still  manifest  as  one  of  the 
prominent  characteristic  tendencies  of  the  beginning  of  the 
twentieth  century.  It  is  probable  that  this  tendency  will 
develop  into  a  dangerous  extreme,  for  there  is  nothing 
truer  in  history  than  that  extremes  beget  extremes.  When 
the  pendulum  is  lifted  on  one  side  of  the  point  of  oscilla- 
tion it  will  certainly  swing  to  nearly  the  same  height  on 
the  other  side  when  it  is  free  to  follow  a  well-known  law 
of  physics.  The  pendulum  was  lifted  high  on  the  side  of 
systematic  and  speculative  theology,  during  the  earlier  days 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  when  the  pendulum  began 
to  swing  to  the  other  side  it  would  not  stop  at  the  centre  of 
oscillation,  but  rose  to  a  point  where  theology  is  at  a  heavy 
discount.  While  this  result  is  jJrecisely  what  might  have 
been  expected,  it  does  not  indicate  the  very  best  state  of 
things.  The  railing  against  theology  has  been  entirely 
overdone,  and  consequently  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth 
century  has  an  important  work  to  do  in  restoring  theology 
to  its  proper  place. 

Let  it  be  understood,  then,  that  there  is  theology  and 
theology.  A  purely  speculative  theology  need  not  be  en- 
couraged. Indeed,  this  should  be  discouraged,  especially 
when  this  theology  is  made  a  test  of  Christian  fellowship. 
Philosophical  hair-splitting,  with  respect  to  the  person  and 
attributes  of  either  God  or  man,  is  not  "profitable  for 
doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,   for  instruction  in 

140 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  141 

righteousness,  that  the  Man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thor- 
oughly furnished  unto  every  good  work."  But  because  this 
is  true,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  Eitschlism  is 
true.  Eitschl  confines  theology  strictly  to  religion,  and 
excludes  metaphysics  entirely  from  his  system  of  religion. 
He  claims  that  the  Christian  knowledge  of  God  is  not 
scientific.  With  him  everything  is  tested  in  religion  by 
what  he  calls  a  Werthurtheil,  meaning  thereby  a  value- 
judgment.  Professor  Harnack,  a  leading  representative 
of  the  Eitschl  school,  writes  as  follows:  "The  historian 
is  not  in  a  position  to  reckon  with  a  miracle  as  a  certainly 
given  historical  event;  for  in  doing  so  he  destroys  that 
very  method  of  looking  at  things  on  which  all  historical 
investigation  rests.  Every  single  miracle  remains,  histor- 
ically, entirely  dubious;  and  no  summation  of  the  dubious 
can  ever  amount  to  a  certainty.  If,  in  spite  of  this,  the 
historian  convinces  himself  that  Jesus  Christ  has  done 
what  is  extraordinary,  and  even  in  the  strict  sense  miracu- 
lous, he  argues  from  an  ethico-religious  impression  which 
he  has  received  of  this  person  to  a  supernatural  power  be- 
longing to  Him.  This  inference  belongs  itself  to  the  do- 
main of  religious  faith." 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  extract  that  Harnack  teaches  that 
what  belongs  to  the  domain  of  religious  faith  cannot  be 
scientifically  treated  as  an  assured  fact.  But  a  man's  re- 
ligious faith  cannot  be  kept  in  one  compartment  of  the 
mind,  dissociated  from  every  other  compartment.  The 
mind,  as  a  whole,  is  comprehended  in  our  religious  faith, 
as  well  as  in  everything  else,  and  any  system  of  reasoning 
that  denies  this  fact  cannot  be  accepted  as  logically  correct. 
It  is  perfectly  true  that  faith  comes  by  hearing  the  Word  of 
God,  but  if  we  have  doubts  concerning  that  word,  our  faith 
is  sure  to  "  hasten  leisurely,"  even  if  it  should  ever  come 
at  all. 


142  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Ritschlism  is  therefore  an  extreme  view  of  an  important 
truth.  Doubtless  we  should  not  make  too  much  of  science 
in  theology.  The  speculations  of  the  schools  have  resulted 
in  much  harm  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  but  when  we  swing 
to  an  opposite  extreme,  as  Ritschl  has  evidently  done,  and 
his  followers  are  constantly  now  doing,  we  may  well  pause 
and  ask  whether  we  may  study  the  deep  things  of  God  at 
all  when  we  become  Christians,  and  especially  those  things 
that  clearly  underlie  the  whole  of  our  reasoning  with  re- 
spect to  religious  matters. 

But  it  may  be  said  that  Ritschl  does  not  reject  theology, 
but  only  systematic  theology,  or  that  effort  of  the  mind  to 
present  in  a  systematic  form  the  doctrine  of  God.  Now 
this  view  of  the  matter  does  not  help  the  Ritschl  school. 
It  is  really  begging  the  whole  question.  How  can  we  study 
theology  at  all  if  we  do  not  systematise  the  teaching  of 
the  Bible  to  some  extent  at  least  ?  As  a  matter  of  fact  we 
do  this  constantly  whether  we  are  conscious  of  it  or  not. 
Every  well-ordered  sermon  is  a  systematic  treatise  upon 
some  phase  of  religious  truth.  Every  essay,  discussing 
questions  relating  to  Christianity,  must  necessarily  be 
somewhat  systematic.  Indeed,  the  greatest  diflSculty  with 
both  our  sermons  and  essays  is  that  they  are  frequently 
wanting  in  the  very  element  for  which  I  am  contending, 
and  for  this  very  reason  they  are  not  effective  in  producing 
conviction  upon  those  for  whom  they  are  intended. 

Unquestionably  too  much  system  may  be  quite  as  bad 
as  too  much  disorder.  Neither  of  these  extremes  should  be 
cultivated  by  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century.  He 
should  give  attention  mainly  to  the  facts,  but  there  are 
times  when  and  places  where  he  must  deal  with  these  facts 
from  the  standpoint  of  philosophy.  There  are  laws  of  the 
mind  which  must  be  considered  in  all  our  reasoning  if 
we  wish  to  reach  well-assured  conclusions.    How  can  we 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  143 

know  that  we  have  reached  an  assured  truth,  if  we  do  not 
first  know  that  our  reasoning  has  been  correct?  We  do 
not  have  to  study  any  system  of  logic  in  order  to  be  logical. 
We  cannot  reason  correctly  without  being  logical.  We 
must  have  premises  which  are  verified,  and  then  these  must 
be  in  their  proper  relation  to  each  other.  Some  things 
must  be  accepted  as  fundamental  before  we  can  reason  at 
all.  This  is  true  in  mathematics,  and  it  is  equally  true  in 
religion.  The  greatest  German  philosopher,  Immanuel 
Kant,  reckons  three  great  fundamentals  as  essential  to  all 
correct  reasoning,  namely,  God,  immortality,  and  liberty. 
Theology  has  to  do  with  all  of  these,  though  it  may  spe- 
cifically deal  mainly  with  the  first. 

In  our  present  discussion  I  shall  confine  myself  to  those 
questions  which  properly  come  under  Christian  Theology, 
or  the  revelation  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  our  divine  Lord. 
The  whole  of  this  area  embraces : 

(1)  Christology. 

(2)  Anthropology. 

(3)  Soteriology. 

These  are  so  intimately  associated  that  they  cannot  be 
treated  separately  without  frequently  overlapping.  But  for 
the  sake  of  clearness,  it  may  be  well  for  us  to  consider  each 
one  of  these  in  the  order  just  mentioned. 

(1)  Christology.  We  may  study  the  person  and  work 
of  Christ  from  many  points  of  view ;  but  it  will  be  sufficient 
for  our  present  purpose  to  consider  (a)  the  Incarnation; 
(b)  the  Atonement,  and  (c)  the  Offices  of  Christ  as  a 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King. 

(a)  The  doctrine  of  the  incarnation  is  fundamental  in 
Christianity.  The  Scriptures  clearly  teach  that  Christ 
entered  this  life  from  another.  Many  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture fix  the  fact  definitely,  as  well  as  those  which  describe 
circumstantially  his  advent  into  this  world.    Some  of  these 


144  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

passages  may  be  consulted  with  profit  in  reference  to  this 
matter.  Philippians  ii.  5-9  asserts  that  Christ  Jesus  ex- 
isted "  in  the  form  of  God  "  and  that  He  gave  up  this  and 
"  took  the  form  of  a  servant,  coming  to  be  in  the  likeness 
of  men."  That  is  He  "  emptied  himself  "  of  the  glory 
which  He  had  prior  to  entering  humanity,  and  then  in  his 
new  state  He  "  humbled  himself  and  became  obedient  even 
to  the  death  of  the  cross."  Galatians  iv.  4  asserts  that 
"when  the  fulness  of  time  had  come,  God  sent  forth  his 
son,  born  of  a  woman,  born  under  the  law."  In  2 
Corinthians  viii.  9  it  is  declared  that  "though  he  was 
rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  ye  through 
his  poverty  might  become  rich,"  and  consequently  reference 
is  made  here  to  his  antecedent  existence.  The  fourth  Gos- 
pel is  even  more  emphatic  if  possible  with  respect  to  this 
doctrine  of  incarnation.  John  i.  1-15.  "  In  the  beginning 
was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word 
was  God.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  All 
things  were  made  by  him;  and  without  him  was  not  any- 
thing made  that  hath  been  made.  In  him  was  life;  and 
the  life  was  the  light  of  men.  And  the  light  shineth  in 
the  darkness ;  and  the  darkness  apprehended  it  not.  There 
came  a  man,  sent  from  God,  whose  name  was  John.  The 
same  came  for  witness,  that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the 
light,  that  all  might  believe  through  him.  He  was  not  the 
light,  but  came  that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the  light. 
There  was  the  true  light,  even  the  light  which  lighteth 
every  man,  coming  into  the  world.  He  was  in  the  world, 
and  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and  the  world  knew  him 
not.  He  came  unto  his  own,  and  they  that  were  his  own 
received  him  not.  But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them 
gave  he  the  right  to  become  children  of  God,  even  to  them 
that  believe  on  his  name:  which  were  born,  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  145 

God.  And  the  word  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us 
(and  we  beheld  his  glory,  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten 
from  the  Father),  full  of  grace  and  truth.'' 

Now  it  is  clearly  stated  in  this  quotation  from  the  Apostle 
John  that  the  Word  became  human  and  dwelt  among  men, 
though  the  manner  or  process  by  which  the  Word  became 
flesh  is  not  indicated  nor  is  any  reference  made  to  this 
anywhere  in  John's  Gospel.  This  Gospel  makes  no  refer- 
ence to  his  supernatural  birth,  but  asserts  his  divinity  en- 
tirely apart  from  that  birth.  Nevertheless,  there  is  no 
part  of  the  New  Testament  which  more  fully  and  emphat- 
ically sets  forth  the  preexistence  of  Jesus.  Take  such 
expressions  as  the  following :  "  I  came  forth,  and  I  am  come 
from  God;  for  neither  have  I  come  of  myself,  but  he  sent 
me."  "  I  came  forth  from  the  Father,  and  I  am  come  into 
the  world";  again,  "I  leave  the  world  and  go  to  the 
Father,"  "  Before  Abraham  was  I  am,"  "  Glorify  thou 
me  with  the  glory  that  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world 
was." 

These  quotations  are  sufficient  to  prove,  beyond  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  doubt,  that  the  New  Testament  at  least  teaches 
the  doctrine  of  the  incarnation.  Nor  does  it  seem  possible 
for  any  one  to  deny  this  doctrine  without  practically  setting 
aside  some  of  the  plainest  passages  and  facts  of  the  Bible. 
Nevertheless,  there  seems  to  be  just  now  a  growing  ten- 
dency to  at  least  regard  with  suspicion  any  interpretation 
of  the  Scriptures  which  requires  a  supernatural  birth  of 
Jesus.  The  rationalistic  or  extreme  scientific  school  of 
this  age  refuses  to  accept  the  fact  of  the  incarnation  because 
it  requires  belief  in  the  supernatural.  But  why  should  any 
one  who  believes  in  the  existence  of  God  doubt  the  super- 
natural? and  how  can  any  one,  even  on  rational  grounds, 
regard  the  existence  of  a  God  as  improbable?  After  all, 
may  it  not  be  that  the  difficulty  at  this  point  arises  from 


146  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  fact  that  in  our  conceptions  of  the  natural  and  super* 
natural  we  have  separated  them  by  an  impassable  gulf.  Is 
it  not  true  that  they  lie  very  close  together  and  at  many 
points  actually  touch  each  other,  as  light  and  darkness,  as 
the  different  kingdoms  of  nature,  and  as  even  the  body, 
soul,  and  spirit?  We  cannot  fathom  to  the  depth  of  a 
question  like  the  incarnation,  but  we  can  see  far  enough  to 
understand  that  there  is  nothing  at  all  improbable  in  what 
is  stated  about  it.  If  God  be  what  He  is  represented  to  be 
in  the  Bible,  then  it  is  not  difficult  to  believe  that  He  could 
manifest  himself  in  human  form  without  any  infringement 
of  natural  law  whatever.  There  may  be  a  sphere  above 
what  we  now  know  of  natural  law  which  would  admit 
easily  all  that  is  claimed  for  the  incarnation.  The  trans- 
ference of  one  life  into  another  is  really  one  of  the  funda- 
mental facts  of  Christianity.  According  to  the  Apostle 
Paul  the  Christian's  life  is  not  his  own  life,  but  the  life 
of  Christ  in  him.  Christ  dwells  in  the  Christian,  and  the 
latter  becomes  what  he  is  through  the  inflow  of  the  life 
from  without. 

This  view  of  the  Apostle  is  supported  by  all  the  facts 
recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  as  well  as  by  the  personal 
experience  of  every  Christian;  and  this  being  true,  it  fol- 
lows that  the  incarnation  of  God  in  Jesus  the  Christ  is 
no  more  a  mystery  than  the  incarnation  of  God  in  a  Chris- 
tian. Indeed  the  former  was  simply  preparatory  to  the 
latter.  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  in  the  person  of  Jesus 
Christ,  was  the  first  step  necessary  to  the  enshrining  of  God 
in  humanity  through  each  redeemed  son  and  daughter  of 
humanity.  So  that  there  is  nothing  at  all  improbable, 
and  certainly  nothing  impossible,  in  the  transference 
of  divinity  from  the  spiritual  world  into  the  fleshly,  or 
material  world.  It  is  easy  to  create  difficulties  with 
respect  to  almost  anything,  and  it  is  not  impossible  to 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  147 

create  apparently  insurmountable  difficulties  with  regard 
to  matters  entirely  beyond  our  comprehension.  Our  meas- 
uring line  is  too  short  to  enable  us  to  determine  what  God 
can  do.  He  who  could  create  this  universe  with  all  it 
contains,  need  not  be  limited  with  regard  to  the  modes  of 
his  manifestation  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  earth,  and  it 
is  the  supremest  nonsense,  if  not  the  most  unpardonable 
irreverence,  for  any  one  to  assume  that  God  cannot  enter 
human  flesh  if  He  chooses  so  to  do. 

However,  it  may  help  us  who  may  have  difficulties  with 
this  problem  to  suggest  that  possibly  we  have  assumed  in 
our  reasoning  that  God  and  man  are  more  widely  sep- 
arated than  they  are.  I  think  the  Scriptures  teach  that 
there  is  a  striking  likeness  between  them,  and  that  they 
are  in  many  respects  closely  allied  to  each  other.  We  must 
never  forget  that  man  was  created  in  the  image  of  God. 
This  implies  more  than  has  generally  been  conceded.  Just 
how  much  it  implies  may  not  be  easily  determined.  Prob- 
ably it  indicates  that  man  is  like  God  in  all  that  makes 
him  a  man,  and  if  this  be  true  the  step  by  which  divinity 
was  transferred  to  humanity  may  have  comprehended  little 
more  than  the  step  across  sin  which  now  separates  God 
and  man.  This  step  was  taken  in  the  case  of  Jesus 
Christ  by  providing  conditions  which  enabled  Him  to 
become  flesh  without  assuming  any  taint  of  sin  which 
may  belong  to  the  human  race.  In  any  case  it  is  certain 
that  before  He  could  become  an  acceptable  sin  offering  it 
was  necessary  for  Him  to  possess  the  characteristics  of  an 
offering  that  would  be  acceptable  to  God.  One  of  these 
characteristics  involved  a  life  without  sin,  and  this  is  pre- 
cisely what  was  true  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Now  the  problem  of  Christ's  sinlessness  will  help  us  to 
solve  the  problem  of  the  incarnation.  Is  it  not  quite  as 
easy  to  believe  in  the  New  Testament  account  of  his  advent 


148  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

into  the  world  as  to  believe  that  He  was  entirely  without 
sin  during  the  whole  of  his  earthly  life?  The  same  New 
Testament  that  declares  one  declares  the  other  also;  and 
so  far  as  human  experience  goes^  the  latter  is  quite  as 
far  removed  from  the  facts  of  human  history  as  the  former 
is.  Now,  if  we  reject  the  testimony  with  respect  to  his 
birth,  why  not  also  reject  the  testimony  with  respect  to 
his  life?  However,  it  is  the  habit  of  certain  semi-sceptics 
to  laud  the  latter  while  they  utterly  repudiate  the  former. 
But  if  the  New  Testament  is  credible  with  respect  to 
one,  why  is  it  not  credible  with  respect  to  the  other? 
At  any  rate  it  is  certain  that  when  we  throw  suspicion 
upon  the  record  concerning  the  peculiar  conditions  of  the 
earthly  advent,  we  must  of  necessity  throw  suspicion  also 
upon  every  other  fact  which  the  New  Testament  records, 
and  especially  when  that  fact  contains  a  suggestion  of  the 
improbable.  Undoubtedly  the  sinlessness  of  Jesus,  when 
compared  with  the  life  of  men  generally,  is  as  much  a 
miracle  as  the  incarnation  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

There  is,  however,  in  the  whole  story  of  the  incarnation 
and  in  its  transcendent  facts  a  special  fitness  to  the  end 
in  view  which  does  much  to  help  our  faith  where  it  might 
hesitate  without  this  philosophical  suggestiveness.  The 
incarnation  does  not  necessarily  limit  the  activity  of  God 
in  the  universe  to  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ  any  more 
than  the  Christian  Church  limits  his  activity  at  the  present 
time;  and  yet,  He  dwells  in  that  church,  and  is  an  essen- 
tial part  of  that  church,  if  we  are  to  believe  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

Jesus  was  both  divine  and  human.  This  compound 
character  was  essential  to  the  mission  upon  which  He  visited 
the  earth.  A  mediator  must  be  the  friend  of  both  parties 
who  are  to  be  reconciled.  Jesus  was  therefore  both  God 
and  man,  entering  into  sympathy  with  both  parties,  uniting 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  149 

in  himself  both  divinity  and  humanity.  Up  to  the  time  of 
his  coming  human  history  demonstrated  at  least  two  things : 
first,  that  every  experiment  in  which  God  attempted  to 
govern  the  world  by  his  own  sovereign  authority  resulted 
in  a  practical  failure.  The  experiment  in  Eden  and  all 
the  experiments  following,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Jewish 
theocracy,  finally  broke  down  for  the  reason,  in  the  second 
place,  man  never  could  govern  himself.  In  this  extremity 
the  incarnation  is  offered  as  a  solution  of  the  problem. 
That  is,  when  it  became  evident  that  man  would  not  be 
governed  by  God  and  could  not  govern  himself,  the  merci- 
ful provision  was  made  for  him  to  give  him  a  governor 
who  is  both  God  and  man — Immanuel,  God  with  us.  Hence 
Jesus  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the  living  God,  the  friend  of 
both  God  and  man,  becomes  the  mediator  of  the  new 
covenant,  which  covenant  provides  at  the  same  time  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  authority  of  God  and  the  forgiveness  of 
sins. 

There  is  still  another  view  of  the  incarnation  which  may 
help  our  weak  faith  when  it  stumbles  at  philosophy.  We 
must  remember  that  the  whole  course  of  Providence,  down 
through  the  ages,  from  Adam  to  Christ,  was  a  preparation 
of  the  world  for  the  Coming  One,  Whose  coming  would 
fulfil  all  the  prophecies,  and  at  the  same  time  meet  all 
the  conditions  necessary  to  restore  the  image  of  God  to 
fallen  man.  In  the  person  of  Christ  the  gulf  which 
had  long  separated  God  and  man  was  practically  bridged 
over,  and  a  pathway  of  holiness  erected  by  which  all 
who  will  accept  the  word  of  reconciliation  can  return  to 
the  favour  and  fellowship  of  the  living  God. 

From  this  point  of  view  the  incarnation  may  be  regarded 
as  the  crowning  glory  of  all  the  ages,  and  as  the  consumma- 
tion of  all  the  types  and  shadows  of  Jewish  history,  as  well 
as  the  proclamation  to  the  race  of  a  possible  glorious  end 


150  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

to  the  long  night  of  darkness  which  has  been  the  result  of 
the  reign  of  sin  in  the  world. 

Of  course  it  is  impossible  to  treat  a  subject  so  profound 
and  so  far-reaching  as  the  incarnation  is,  within  the  space 
of  a  few  paragraphs.  But  as  it  is  a  subject  which  will  con- 
stantly appear  in  the  preacher's  experience,  it  is  well  for 
him  to  be  furnished  with  at  least  a  few  suggestions  that 
will  help  him  to  meet  some  of  the  difficulties  which  modern 
thinkers  are  frequently  obtruding  in  the  way  of  a  robust 
faith.  No  one  can  possibly  fathom  the  whole  depth  of  the 
incarnation.  But  in  this  respect  it  is  not  different  from 
many  other  things.  We  cannot  fathom  the  mystery  of 
ourselves.  The  union  of  body,  soul,  and  spirit  in  every 
man  is,  from  our  point  of  view,  quite  as  inexplicable  and 
mysterious  as  the  union  of  God  and  man  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Why  then  should  we  believe  in  one  and  not 
believe  in  the  other? 

(b)  The  reconciliation-.  I  use  the  term  reconciliation 
to  represent  what  is  generally  understood  by  the  atonement, 
for  the  reason  that  it  is  a  better  word  to  express  the  original 
idea.  It  is  also  more  in  harmony  with  our  modern  use  of 
words.  At  the  same  time  it  is  well  not  to  make  too  much 
of  a  mere  definition.  It  is  rather  remarkable  that  the  New 
Testament  very  seldom,  if  ever,  attempts  to  define  a  word 
which  it  uses.  The  nearest  approach  to  this  is  in  the  first 
verse  of  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews  where  the  Apostle 
gives  us  something  like  a  definition  of  faith.  The  writers 
simply  employ  words  in  their  current  acceptation,  and  leave 
the  reader  to  determine  their  meaning  by  the  context  in 
which  they  are  placed.  Reconciliation  is  a  fine  word,  but 
even  it  has  been  abused,  while  the  word  atonement  has 
been  made  to  mean  almost  everything,  as  well  as  practically 
nothing.  There  is  probably  as  much  need  for  a  new  ter- 
minology in  theology  as  there  is  for  anthing  else.    In  the 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  151 

proper  place  I  may  have  something  to  say  about  this,  and 
urge  its  importance  on  your  attention. 

Meantime  let  us  give  close  attention  to  the  teaching  of 
the  Bible  with  respect  to  the  great  doctrine  of  the  reconcilia- 
tion as  it  is  set  forth,  not  only  in  the  types  and  shadows  of 
Jewish  dispensation,  but  also  in  the  facts  of  the  Gospel  and 
in  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament.  It  is  very  impor- 
tant to  emphasise  the  doctrine  now  under  consideration 
for  the  reason  that  in  much  of  the  preaching  of  recent 
years  the  doctrine  of  the  cross  has  had  little  place,  and 
in  some  instances  it  has  been  regarded  as  simply  an  apos- 
tolic addition  to  the  Gospel,  without  any  authority  from 
the  divine  master.  Of  course  this  definite  repudiation  of 
the  preaching  of  the  cross,  in  the  depths  of  its  meaning, 
is  confined  to  comparatively  few  pulpits;  and  yet,  there 
are  many  pulpits  where  the  doctrine  is  so  emasculated  as 
to  mean  little  more  than  is  meant  by  those  who  attach  to 
it  practically  no  consequence  whatever.  It  is,  therefore,  all- 
important  for  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  to 
equip  himself  well  for  the  defence  and  proclamation  of 
the  whole  Gospel,  which  embraces  not  only  Christ  in  his 
living  personality,  but  also  Christ  crucified,  Christ  buried, 
and  Christ  risen  from  the  dead.  The  preacher's  mission 
is  not  primarily  to  educate  the  people.  He  does  this, 
if  he  performs  his  whole  duty;  indeed,  he  must  do  this  in 
order  that  he  may  carry  out  the  whole  commission  under 
which  he  is  serving  his  Divine  Lord.  But  there  is  some- 
thing in  that  commission  which  is  emphatically  central, 
and  without  which  everything  else  falls  to  pieces.  That 
central  thing  is  the  Gospel ;  and  it  is  this  that  the  preacher 
must  carry  into  all  the  world  and  preach  to  every  creature. 
The  preaching  of  this  Gospel  is  associated  with  other 
things,  but  these  other  things  do  not  in  any  respect  in- 
validate the  specific  character  of  the  Gospel  itself. 


152  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

In  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  1  Corinthians  the  Apostle 
tells  us  just  what  the  facts  of  the  Gospel  are;  and  the 
first  fact  he  declares  to  be  "  how  that  Christ  died  for  our 
sins  according  to  the  Scriptures."  Now  it  seems  to  me 
that  it  is  impossible  to  preach  the  Gospel  without  including 
the  death  of  Christ  for  our  sins  according  to  the  Scriptures. 
Indeed,  this  fact  is  not  only  first  in  the  order  given  by  the 
Apostle,  but  so  far  as  sin  is  concerned,  it  is  first  also  in 
importance,  for  it  is  this  death  of  Christ  that  meets  the 
ease  of  our  sins;  and  certainly  the  great  object  of  the 
Gospel  is,  first  of  all,  to  save  men  from  their  sins.  This 
was  the  distinctive  mission  of  Christ  to  the  world.  He 
came  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost.  Salvation,  then,  is  the 
great  purpose  of  the  Gospel,  and  this  can  be  secured  only 
through  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins.  This  fact  makes  the 
cross  of  Christ  paramount  in  the  Gospel  scheme,  and  con- 
sequently the  preacher  cannot  ignore  or  minimise  the  su- 
preme importance  of  Calvary  in  his  pulpit  ministrations. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  well  to  have  a  correct  view  of  the 
cross,  so  as  not  to  use  this  one  element  of  the  Gospel  out 
of  all  proportion  to  the  other  elements.  Everything  in 
the  Gospel  is  important,  and  in  its  right  place  it  should 
be  regarded  as  part  of  the  divine  scheme  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  man. 

Of  course  it  is  freely  admitted  that  the  doctrine  of  the 
reconciliation  has  been  sadly  abused.  But  nearly  every- 
thing has  been  abused.  We  must  not  surrender  the  doc- 
trine itself  because  it  has  been  made  to  stand  for  a  false 
theory.  Far  better  is  it  that  we  should  seek  to  rescue  the 
doctrine  from  false  teaching,  and  restore  it  to  the 
position  which  it  was  intended  to  occupy  by  the  New 
Testament  writers.  What,  then,  is  the  teaching  of  these 
writers  on  the  subject  of  the  reconciliation  or  atonement? 

In  a  brief  notice,  such  as  I  am  now  compelled  to  give,  it 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  153 

is  impossible  to  discuss  even  the  most  obvious  phases  of 
this  great  question.  All  I  can  hope  to  do  at  present  is  to 
warn  the  preacher  against  some  very  glaring  false  views 
and  urge  upon  him  the  necessity  of  studying  this  whole 
subject  for  himself,  and  let  this  study  be  done  as  much 
as  possible  from  a  Bible  point  of  view. 

At  the  very  beginning  of  what  I  have  to  say  it  is  desirable 
to  guard  against  a  very  seductive,  but  not  adequate,  theory 
concerning  this  whole  matter.  That  theory  is  that  there 
is  no  theory  of  the  atonement  at  all.  Those  who  hold  this 
view  of  the  matter  tell  us  that  a  subject  so  profound  as 
the  atonement  is,  should  be  left  alone  just  where  the  Scrip- 
tures leave  it,  and  no  one  should  even  attempt  to  formulate 
any  view  of  the  matter  which  involves  any  theory  of  the 
atonement  whatever.  But  did  it  ever  occur  to  these  re- 
markable philosophers  that  they  themselves  have  a  theory 
of  the  atonement  and  constantly  preach  it,  whether  they 
are  conscious  of  it  or  not. 

In  the  first  place  this  theory  that  we  must  have  no  theory 
is  itself  profoundly  speculative,  and  is  really  the  quintes- 
sence of  agnosticism,  and  is,  therefore,  a  theory  concerning 
the  atonement.  It  assumes  that  we  do  not  understand  the 
rationale  of  it  at  all,  and,  indeed,  cannot  understand  it, 
and  that  therefore  all  the  preacher  can  do  is  to  proclaim 
what  the  Scriptures  teach,  and  not  attempt  in  any  way  to 
explain  what  the  Scriptures  mean.  Now  this  may  be  a 
very  convenient  way  to  get  rid  of  a  weighty  responsibility, 
but  this  way  of  disposing  of  the  matter  will  probably  not 
be  satisfactory  to  most  people  who  are  accustomed  to  think 
a  little  below  the  surface  of  things,  and  consequently  no 
well-equipped  preacher  for  his  pulpit  work  ought  to  seek 
to  get  rid  of  a  somewhat  difficult  problem  in  any  such 
lazy  and  irresponsible  fashion. 

But  as  a  matter  of  fact  no  one  does  really  dispose  of 


154  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  question  in  any  such  summary  manner.  There  is 
probably  not  one  preacher  in  a  thousand  who  acts  in  any 
such  way  as  has  been  indicated.  It  is  true  that  many 
may  not  be  conscious  of  holding  any  particular  theory  of 
the  reconciliation,  but  this  does  not  prove  that  they  really 
have  no  theory.  Indeed,  we  cannot  quote  the  language  of 
Scripture  without  conveying  to  ourself  and  to  our  hearers 
some  meaning  to  the  language  we  use,  or  else  we  are 
practically  speaking  in  an  unknown  tongue.  For  example, 
when  I  quote  the  language  of  the  Apostle,  where  he  says 
"  how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures," do  I  not  at  once  introduce  the  whole  subject  of 
the  reconciliation,  as  related  to  our  sins,  and  also  to  the 
Scriptures?  The  very  moment  I  begin  to  enforce  this 
passage  upon  the  attention  of  my  hearers  that  very  moment 
do  I  begin  to  formulate  a  theory  or  philosophy  of  the 
atonement.  Hence  all  the  talk  about  leaving  the  subject 
in  the  Scriptures  without  any  theory  with  regard  to  it,  is 
wholly  unworthy  of  men  who  think,  and  is  scarcely  allow- 
able in  the  case  of  an  A-B-C-darian  in  Theology. 

The  difficulty  is  not  that  men  should  theorise  with  respect 
to  the  atonement  or  with  respect  to  anything  else.  The 
child  is  a  philosopher  just  as  soon  as  it  begins  to  speak. 
It  often  asks  the  most  profound  questions,  while  its  an- 
swers to  its  own  questions  are  sometimes  very  remarkable. 
We  cannot  help  being  philosophers  though  we  may  not 
know  much  about  philosophy.  We  need  not  trouble  our- 
selves because  we  have  a  theory  of  the  atonement.  We 
cannot  deal  with  the  subject  at  all  unless  we  do  have  a 
theory.  Our  theorising  is  not  the  point  of  difficulty.  We 
must  not  make  our  theories  with  regard  to  it,  or  anything 
else  in  the  religion  of  Christ,  into  an  iron  hedstead  hy 
which  we  try  the  dimensions  of  other  people's  faith.  Every 
preacher  should  be  an  expounder  of  the  Word  of  God.    Of 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  155 

course  there  are  in  this  word  both  deep  and  shallow  places. 
The  reconciliation  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  deep  places, 
and  any  philosophy  put  forth  with  respect  to  it  should  be 
stated  with  great  caution  and  with  much  reverence;  and 
should  certainly  not  be  regarded  by  him  who  states  it  as 
the  last  word  that  can  be  said  on  the  subject.  Nevertheless, 
it  is  highly  probable  that  even  the  most  uncultured  evangel- 
ist, who  attempts  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  all,  makes  his 
most  effective  plea  when  he  presents  some  distinctive  and 
definite  theory  of  this  very  subject  now  under  considera- 
tion. 

Another  fact  ought  to  be  at  once  admitted  by  everyone 
who  deals  with  this  subject  at  all.  That  fact  is  the  pro- 
found depth  and  comprehensive  character  of  the  atonement. 
Now  it  is  quite  possible  that  no  one  will  be  able  to  explain 
the  whole  height  and  depth,  length  and  breadth  of  this 
great  subject.  But  because  this  is  the  case,  it  does  not 
follow  that  we  may  not  form  a  theory  that  will  be  true 
as  far  as  it  goes,  even  though  it  only  deals  with  the  surface 
of  the  great  theme  of  the  reconciliation.  Perhaps  it  is 
just  here  where  so  many  have  stumbled  with  respect  to 
all  theories  concerning  the  atonement.  These  thinkers 
have  been  unable  to  comprehend  everything  that  is  in  it, 
and  consequently  they  have  rejected  all  theorising  con- 
cerning it  on  that  account.  This  is  neither  good  sense  nor 
good  religion.  We  cannot  fathom  the  depths,  length,  and 
breadth  of  God,  but  we  seek  to  know  as  much  of  Him  as 
we  can  know,  and  we  all  have  our  theories  concerning  Him, 
though  it  is  neither  wise  nor  good  to  make  these  theories 
into  unalterable  creeds  by  which  to  test  the  faith  of  other 
people.  The  preacher,  then,  should  study  all  subjects,  how- 
ever profound  these  subjects  may  be,  but  he  should  be 
careful  not  to  write  Ne  plus  ultra  on  any  of  his  deductions. 

Having  now  cleared  the  way,  I  will  try  to  get  into  your 


156  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

minds  a  definite  idea  of  what  the  reconciliation  is,  and 
what  it  means  in  the  plan  of  salvation. 

Undoubtedly  the  crucial  point  in  this  discussion  is  sin. 
This  is  what  separates  God  and  man.  No  wonder, 
then,  that  the  Scriptures  teach  the  necessity  of  dealing 
with  sin  in  order  to  bring  about  a  reconciliation  of  God 
and  man.  At  present  it  matters  not  where  this  enmity 
begins  nor  where  it  ends.  That  there  is  enmity  between 
God  and  man  cannot  be  doubted  by  those  who  believe  the 
Scriptures,  and  that  this  enmity  is  caused  by  sin  is  equally 
apparent  to  the  most  casual  reader  of  the  Word  of  God. 

How,  then,  must  sin  be  dealt  with?  There  are  only 
three  conceivable  ways  by  which  it  could  be  treated,  as  has 
been  already  intimated  in  another  chapter. 

In  the  first  place  it  could  be  let  alone.  This  course  would 
have  ended  in  irretrievable  ruin  to  the  race.  This  expedi- 
ent would  have  been  practically  just  equal  to  the  leaving 
of  sin  to  work  out  its  own  destruction,  but  by  so  doing  it 
would  have  destroyed  not  only  man  but  probably  also  the 
harmony  of  the  entire  universe.  No  one  can  possibly  fore- 
tell what  would  have  been  the  awful  consequences  had  sin 
been  left  alone  to  work  out  its  logical  results.  This  ex- 
pedient therefore  could  not  certainly  meet  the  case.  In  the 
second  place  sin  could  he  punished.  That  is  precisely  what 
was  done  with  sin  throughout  the  ages  from  the  fall  of 
Adam  to  the  coming  of  Christ.  Punishment  was  even 
God's  method  for  dealing  with  sin  during  the  Patriarchal 
and  Jewish  dispensations.  But  this  method  did  not  meet 
the  whole  case.  It  restrained  sin  to  some  extent.  It  lim- 
ited its  ravages,  but  it  did  not  cure  the  disease.  The  law 
itself,  which  was  added  because  of  transgression,  only  re- 
strained sin,  circumscribed  its  influence,  while  the  punish- 
ment which  followed  the  transgression  of  this  law  did 
little  more  than  add  terror  to  the  law  and  thereby  increase 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  157 

its  sanctions.  But  as  a  final  remedial  agent  the  law  was 
weak,  on  account  of  the  weakness  of  the  flesh,  as  Paul 
states  it,  and  therefore  could  not  do  what  was  necessary 
to  be  done  in  order  to  bring  in  an  everlasting  righteousness, 
which  would  secure  the  believer  against  ultimately  certain 
failure  in  the  risen  life.  Punishment  of  sin  did  not  put 
sin  away;  it  certainly  did  not  meet  the  whole  case. 

Third;  sin  could  he  pardoned.  This  is  the  problem  in- 
volved in  the  reconciliation.  Stated  in  the  style  of  the 
Apostle,  the  problem  to  be  solved  was,  how  can  God  be 
just  and  at  the  same  time  the  justifier  of  him  who  believes 
in  Jesus?  Or  to  put  it  in  another  form,  how  can  God 
honour  his  own  law  which  condemns  sin  which  is  the  trans- 
gression of  the  law,  and  at  the  same  time  pardon  the  sinner 
who  has  broken  that  law?  This  is  the  real  problem  in 
the  atonement.  Can  we  imderstand  its  solution  so  that 
our  reason  as  well  as  our  faith  may  be  satisfied? 

I  do  not  propose  to  discuss  the  various  theories  of  the 
atonement  which  have  more  or  less  held  place  in  the  history 
of  the  church.  This  would  occupy  too  much  time,  and 
would  perhaps,  not  be  very  profitable  to  any  of  my  hearers. 
However,  there  is  a  somewhat  modern  view  of  the  subject 
which  needs  to  be  exposed  in  order  that  we  may  have  a 
clear  conception  of  just  what  the  reconciliation  is,  and 
what  it  means  to  a  lost  and  ruined  world.  I  refer  to  that 
view  which  practically  eliminates,  or  else  heavily  discounts, 
the  death  of  Christ  as  the  central  fact  in  the  reconcilia- 
tion. This  view  gives  to  the  life  of  Christ  the  chief  place 
in  the  reconciliation.  In  fact  it  makes  everything  atone 
that  is  connected  with  Christ's  mission  to  the  earth. 

But  we  do  not  reason  about  anything  else  in  this  way. 
When  we  come  to  the  Lord's  table  to  commemorate  the 
dying  love  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  we  do  not  destroy  the 
specific  character  of  that  service  because  the  life  that  He 


158  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

lived  gives  it  validity,  saeredness,  and  power.  Of  course 
the  death  of  Christ  would  have  no  potency  whatever,  in 
meeting  the  case  of  our  alienation  from  God,  if  He  was 
not  what  He  claimed  to  be.  But  there  is  evidently  in  the 
New  Testament  something  that  is  distinctly  affirmed  to 
be  the  reconciliation  as  distinguished  from  the  life  of 
Christ.  Let  us  hear  what  the  Apostle  Paul  says  on  this 
very  question  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  his  letter  to  the  Romans, 
and  tenth  verse.  "  For  if,  while  we  were  enemies,  we  were 
reconciled  to  God  through  the  death  of  his  son,  much 
more,  being  reconciled,  shall  we  be  saved  by  his  life." 
Here  we  have  unmistakably  both  the  death  and  life  of 
Christ  brought  into  view  and  distinctly  differentiated,  and 
each  placed  in  relation  to  the  particular  result  which  is  to 
be  effected.  Reconciliation  is  undoubtedly  effected  by  the 
death  of  Christ,  while  our  salvation  is  secured  by  his  life. 
Nothing  could  be  more  specific  as  regards  these  two  facts 
than  what  is  stated  in  this  verse.  Our  enmity  to  God  is 
overcome  and  healed  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  while  our 
salvation  is  assured  in  the  fact  that  He  who  was  dead  is 
alive  for  evermore.  Nothing  could  be  more  definite  than 
this  teaching  of  the  Apostle,  and  nothing  could  be  more 
comforting  than  the  great  truth  which  it  formulates. 

Let  it,  then,  be  distinctly  understood  that  the  reconcilia- 
tion is  the  death  of  Christ  for  our  sins,  and  not  his  life, 
or  anything  else  connected  with  his  mission  to  the  world, 
except  so  far  as  his  death,  in  its  efficacy,  must  be  deter- 
mined by  what  He  was  and  what  He  continues  to  be. 

Finally,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  death,  or  how  does 
it  effect  the  reconciliation  of  God  and  man? 

Let  us  at  once  reject  all  such  notions  as  that  God  was 
angry  with  the  world  and  that  the  death  of  Christ  was 
necessary  in  order  to  appease  this  anger.  Until  we  do 
reject  such  notions  we  certainly  cannot  understand  the 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  159 

meaning  of  such  statements  of  Scripture  as  that  "  God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not  perish  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  According  to  this  Scripture  the  death  of 
Christ  was  because  God  loved  the  world,  not  because  He 
was  angry  with  it  or  hated  it.  Doubtless  God  hated  sin, 
but  He  loved  the  sinner.  The  reconciliation  has  to  do 
first  of  all  with  sin,  and  not  with  the  sinner.  Sin  is  de- 
clared to  be  the  transgression  of  the  law.  Now  the  law 
was  angry,  so  to  speak,  and  may  be  said  to  have  hated  the 
sinner  because  the  sinner  had  transgressed  it.  It  was 
God's  law ;  He  had  made  it,  and  this  law  required  the  death 
of  the  transgressor.  Now  the  problem  of  the  reconciliation 
was  simply,  how  can  God  vindicate  his  own  righteous  law 
and  at  the  same  time  be  merciful  to  the  transgressor? 
This  problem  was  solved  by  the  death  of  Christ.  What  the 
law  required  He  met,  and  in  everything  He  provided  for 
the  love  of  God  to  be  made  manifest  in  the  salvation  of 
every  soul  that  accepts  the  sacrifice  which  Christ  made  on 
the  cross. 

This  is  the  whole  heart  as  well  as  head  of  the  reconcilia- 
tion. In  this  reconciliation  God  seeks  to  pardon  sin  in- 
stead of  punish  it,  or  let  it  alone  to  run  its  riotous  course. 
Hence  the  cross,  or  rather  the  word  of  the  cross,  becomes 
henceforth  the  power  to  heal  the  nations.  No  wonder  the 
Apostle  Paul  said,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save 
in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  whom  the  world 
is  crucified  unto  me  and  I  unto  the  world." 

Before  closing  this  brief  consideration  of  the  reconcilia- 
tion it  may  be  well  for  a  moment  to  look  at  the  human  side 
of  this  great  subject.  Undoubtedly  there  is  a  human  side 
to  it.  God  and  man  must  cooperate  in  any  scheme  of 
redemption  which  can  be  regarded  as  worthy  of  divine 
origin.     Hence  no  expedient  for  the  salvation  of  men  is 


i6o  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

worth  a  single  thought  which  does  not  recognise  the  im- 
portance of  man  to  be  consulted  with  respect  to  the  terms 
submitted  in  the  word  of  reconciliation.  This  would  seem 
to  be  clearly  implied  in  the  very  fact  that  the  Gospel  must 
be  proclaimed  to  men  for  their  acceptance  or  rejection. 
Evidently  the  full  benefits  of  the  death  of  Christ  do  not 
accrue  to  the  sinner  until  he  has  accepted  the  terms  of 
salvation  offered  in  the  Gospel.  These  terms  are  plainly 
indicated  in  the  Gospel  message  itself.  The  sacrifice  of 
Christ  makes  it  possible  for  God  to  pardon  the  sinner  and 
restore  him  to  divine  favour,  but  this  great  result  is  con- 
ditioned upon  the  sinner's  voluntary  and  earnest  accept- 
ance of  the  terms  proposed  on  the  part  of  God.  These 
terms  comprehend  at  least  faith,  repentance,  and  baptism, 
the  last  setting  forth  in  outward  form  the  first  two,  and 
at  the  same  time  expressing  in  a  definite  act  the  ac- 
ceptance by  the  penitent  believer  of  Jesus  as  Lord  and 
Christ. 

As  a  further  proof  that  the  reconciliation  must  be  ac- 
cepted upon  the  part  of  men  before  it  can  be  efficacious  in 
their  salvation,  it  needs  only  to  be  said  that  in  all  the 
Scriptures  referring  to  the  subject  they  make  it  evident 
that  now  at  least  men  are  to  be  reconciled  to  God  and  not 
God  reconciled  to  men.  Whatever  needed  to  be  done  on 
the  divine  side  in  order  to  effect  a  reconciliation  between 
God  and  man  was  done  when  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  and 
now  the  call  is  to  men,  and  they  are  urged  to  be  reconciled 
to  God;  and  in  order  to  this  great  end  the  Word  of  recon- 
ciliation, or  the  Gospel,  is  to  be  preached  so  that  men  every- 
where may  have  the  opportunity  to  accept  or  reject  the 
grace  of  God  which  is  offered  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord. 

From  this  point  of  view  the  contemplative,  earnest  soul 
must  be  almost  overwhelmed  by  at  least  two  great  consider- 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  i6i 

ations :  first,  the  marvellous  love  of  God  in  giving  his  Son 
to  die  for  us  that  we  might  be  brought  back  to  Him  into 
the  fellowship  which  was  lost  through  man's  disobedience; 
and  second,  the  great  responsibility  which  has  been  placed 
upon  man  by  giving  him  the  privilege  to  choose  for  him- 
self whether  he  will  or  will  not  accept  the  mercy  which 
God  offers  through  the  Gospel.  While  standing  at  the 
cross,  with  its  true  vision  before  our  eyes,  we  both  rejoice 
and  tremble  in  view  of  the  matchless  love  which  the  recon- 
ciliation displays  and  the  awful  responsibility  which  it 
enjoins  upon  us. 

(c)  Jesus  in  his  offices.  I  have  already  noticed 
briefly  the  importance  of  the  preacher's  taking  Jesus  as  his 
great  teacher.  I  have  also  indicated  with  special  emphasis 
his  great  office  as  intercessor  for  sinful  men.  It  only  re- 
mains that  I  should  now  say  a  few  words  with  respect  to 
his  Lordship  or  Kingship,  as  this  is  the  particular  office  of 
Christ  which  seems  to  come  in  conflict  with  the  modern 
view  of  the  world. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  bring  men  to  recognise  the  supreme 
authority  of  Jesus  as  King.  They  are  willing  to  concede 
to  Him  supremacy  as  a  teacher,  and  many  are  not  unwilling 
to  own  his  priestly  office,  but  practically  at  least  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  even  many  professing  Christians  do  not  fully 
recognise  his  Lordly  or  Kingly  authority. 

It  is  at  this  point  where  the  preacher  will  find  his  chief 
difficulty  in  dealing  with  men.  He  will  find  that  many 
will  not  accept  of  Christ's  teaching  as  the  final  source  of 
appeal  in  reference  to  either  faith  or  conduct,  and  espe- 
cially as  regards  the  latter.  Of  course  I  do  not  mean  that 
men,  and  especially  Christian  men,  will  very  generally, 
defijiitely,  and  formally  reject  the  authority  of  Jesus  as 
Lord  and  Christ,  but  they  will,  nevertheless,  practically 
ignore  his  teaching,  or  else  attempt  to  explain  it  away  so 


i62  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

that  it  really  means  little  or  nothing  in  deciding  what  should 
be  done  in  any  given  case;  and  yet,  nothing  is  clearer  in 
the  New  Testament  than  that  his  word  should  be  final 
with  every  loyal  subject  of  his  Kingdom. 

Having  looked  the  whole  ground  over  carefully  I  am 
decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  this  failure  to  accept  heartily 
all  that  is  implied  in  the  Kingship  of  Jesus  is  both  the 
root  and  centre  of  the  feeble  faith  and  half-consecrated 
life  of  nearly  all  who  to-day  profess  to  be  followers  of  our 
Divine  Lord.  When  the  preacher  has  overcome  this  semi- 
infidelity  in  his  church  he  will  have  gained  a  position  from 
which  he  will  be  able  to  solve  almost  any  other  difficulty, 
which  may  come  up  in  his  experience  with  his  people. 

(2)  Anthropology. — It  is  still  true,  as  it  was  in  the 
days  of  Alexander  Pope,  that  mankind  is  the  proper  study 
of  man.  Of  course  this  statement  should  embrace  man- 
kind in  all  of  its  relations.  If  man  was  created  only  a 
little  lower  than  God,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  important  it 
is  to  study  man  in  his  creation,  history,  and  final  destiny. 

Doubtless  one  reason  why  the  subject  of  Anthropology 
has  been  somewhat  confused,  in  the  evolution  of  theological 
systems,  arises  from  the  fact  that  men  have  begun  their 
study  of  man  from  the  theological  point  of  view  rather 
than  from  the  anthropological  point  of  view.  Indeed  the- 
ology itself  cannot  be  mastered  unless  we  begin  the  study 
of  it  from  the  standpoint  of  man.  Man's  first  acts  of 
consciousness  are  with  respect  to  himself,  and  he  must 
reason  from  these  to  his  consciousness  of  other  things. 
Anthropology,  therefore,  is  a  most  important  branch  of 
theology,  for  the  reason  that  we  cannot  study  the  latter 
at  all  unless  we  associate  with  it  the  former.  God  and 
man  cannot  be  separated  in  the  history  of  the  human  race, 
and  consequently  the  very  creation  of  man  is  an  important 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  163 

element  when  we  come  to  inquire  what  is  man,  and  what 
are  the  facts  of  his  history. 

It  is  probable  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  give  special 
emphasis  to  the  fact  that  the  New  Testament  recognises  a 
trichotomy  with  respect  to  man;  that  is,  he  is  composed  of 
body,  soul,  and  spirit,  or  of  a  physical,  animal,  and  spiritual 
nature.  While  this  trichotomy  was  faintly  adumbrated  in 
the  Hebrew  psychology  it  was  certainly  not  very  vigor- 
ously emphasised,  since  it  was  a  habit  of  the  Hebrews  to 
occasionally  use  the  same  word  to  represent  both  body  and 
soul.  This  was  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  the  body  and 
soul  were  almost  certainly  of  contemporaneous  creation, 
while  it  is  equally  certain  that  the  spiritual  nature  of  man 
was  conferred  upon  him  some  time  after  man  was  a  psy- 
chical being.  At  any  rate  philosophers  have  generally 
divided  man  into  body  and  soul,  the  latter  standing  for 
everything  above  the  mere  physical. 

Of  course  in  this  our  psychologists  have  followed  Plato 
rather  than  the  New  Testament,  and  consequently  for  the 
sake  of  exactness  in  definition  it  will  be  both  convenient 
and  intelligible,  as  well  as  highly  suggestive,  for  the 
preacher  to  stick  to  the  Scriptural  trichotomy  instead  of 
the  Platonic  dichotomy.  Strictly  speaking,  therefore,  we 
may  regard  man  as  composed  of  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  or,  in 
other  words,  we  may  regard  him  as  man  Physical,  man  Psy- 
chical, and  man  Pneumatical.  This  classification  brings 
into  prominent  view  the  spiritual  nature  of  man,  which  is 
doubtless  the  most  predominant  fact  concerning  what  man 
really  is,  as  well  as  what  he  is  yet  to  be.  If  redeemed  man 
does  not  wear  the  image  of  God,  and  if  he  is  not  to  live 
forever,  then  it  seems  to  me  that  the  salvation  through 
Christ  and  the  revelation  as  regards  the  future  are  surely 
without  sufficient  inspiration  to  encourage  any  one  to 
trouble  about  them. 


i64  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

It  is  not  now  proposed  to  discuss  the  various  theories 
which  have  been  propounded  with  respect  to  man's  immor- 
tality. Any  adequate  discussion  of  these  theories  would 
make  a  large  volume,  and  consequently  no  attempt  will 
be  made  to  discuss  them  at  all.  However,  it  may  be 
helpful  to  us  if  we  spend  a  moment  to  inquire  what  would 
certainly  happen  to  man  when  he  fell  from  his  first  estate  ? 
It  will  be  noticed  that  I  am  using  the  popular  style  of 
presenting  this  matter  and  it  may  appear  in  the  sequel  that 
there  was  decidedly  a  fall  in  one  respect  at  least.  Let  us 
examine  this  matter  entirely  without  prejudice,  and  then 
I  hope  the  conclusion  which  is  reached  will  help  us  to 
understand  the  whole  subject  of  Anthropology. 

It  is  certainly  a  very  remarkable  fact,  but  it  is  a  fact  all 
the  same,  that  the  fall  of  man  was  occasioned  by  exciting 
a  conflict  among  the  different  parts  of  his  nature.  When 
the  divine  image  was  conferred  upon  him,  or  when  he 
received  his  spiritual  endowment,  this  was  the  crown  of 
his  tripartite  nature,  and  consequently  was  at  the  top,  so 
to  speak,  controlling  all  and  bringing  all  in  subjection 
to  it. 

Now  it  is  curious  and  interesting  to  notice  that  the  real 
attack  upon  this  harmonious  development  of  man  was 
made  at  the  centre,  that  is,  through  his  animal  nature,  and 
in  order  to  success  one  of  the  animal  kingdom  was  used  by 
Satan  to  accomplish  man's  overthrow.  The  temptation  was 
really  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the  animal  to  gain  supremacy 
over  the  spiritual.  Its  final  success  was  in  placing  the  ani- 
mal at  the  top,  in  regal  authority,  and  the  spiritual  under- 
neath, in  subjection  to  the  animal.  Whatever  else  may  have 
happened  through  the  temptation,  this  much  certainly  did 
happen — the  animal  went  up  and  the  spiritual  went  down. 
The  marks  of  this  conflict  may  be  seen  everywhere  in 
history.     Men  have  deen  dominated  by  the  animal  ever 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  165 

since  the  success  of  the  serpent  in  Eden.  Even  the  nations 
of  the  earth  take  for  their  symbols  some  animal.  America 
uses  the  eagle.  Great  Britain  the  lion,  Russia  the  bear,  etc. 
What  is  true  of  nations  is  equally  true  of  individuals.  In 
Flaubert's  great  novel  entitled  "  Salammbo,"  he  has  defi- 
nitely introduced  the  python  in  the  story  of  Salammbo's 
fall,  and  this  python  is  but  an  echo  of  the  serpent  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  In  each  case  it  is  the  struggle  between 
the  spiritual  and  animal,  and  in  each  case  the  animal  wins 
the  battle,  and  this  will  always  be  the  case  in  the  struggle 
without  divine  assistance.  In  the  letter  to  the  Romans  the 
Apostle  Paul  tells  us  that  he  was  constantly  passing  through 
a  similar  struggle,  and  doubtless  a  similar  result  would 
have  followed  in  his  case  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that 
in  his  struggle  he  received  help  from  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Just  here  we  touch  the  real  secret  of  the  Chris- 
tian's triumph.  He  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  who 
strengthens  him,  but  without  this  strength  he  would  be  an 
easy  victim  through  his  animal  nature,  which  is  still  strug- 
gling for  supremacy,  even  in  the  case  of  Christians  whose 
spiritual  natures  have  been  resurrected  into  a  newness  of 
life  and  again  placed  in  regnancy  over  the  soul  and  body. 
Have  we  a  suggestion  in  the  facts  already  stated  that 
will  help  us  to  unlock  the  mystery  of  man's  present  con- 
dition? We  need  no  argument  to  convince  us  that  we  are 
in  a  great  struggle  wherein  evil  and  good  are  constantly 
in  conflict.  The  Apostle  Paul's  experience  is  the  experience 
of  all  of  us;  when  we  would  do  good,  evil  is  present. 
Many  of  us  have  also  realised  the  same  deliverance  which 
he  says  took  place  in  his  case.  He  found  deliverance  only 
in  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  and  this  must  necessarily  be  our 
only  way  to  victory;  and  this  being  the  case,  the  preacher 
will  findi  in  this  fact  a  great  leverage  power  with  which  to 
lift  up  his  people  into  a  higher  life.    The  cross  specially 


i66  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

appeals  to  our  consciousness  of  helplessness.  On  the  out- 
side it  is  repulsive.  It  was  a  stumbling  block  to  the  Jew 
and  foolishness  to  the  Greek,  but  to  those  who  are  saved 
it  has  always  been  and  always  will  be  both  the  power  of 
God  and  the  wisdom  of  God.  On  its  exterior  side  it  is 
darkness  and  death;  when  we  come  to  its  inner  meaning 
it  is  life  and  light.  In  the  shadow  of  the  cross  there  is 
revealed  the  effulgence  of  God's  infinite  love,  for  the  bright- 
ness of  this  love  is  made  specially  manifest  in  the  dark 
background  of  the  cross. 

What  then  shall  we  say  to  these  things  ?  Is  it  true  that 
evil  had  to  triumph  for  a  while  in  order  that  good  might 
ultimately  triumph  ?  Surely  this  is  not  the  meaning  of  the 
Scripture  teaching  on  this  subject.  It  cannot  be  denied 
that  evil  did  triumph  for  a  while,  and  we  are  clearly  assured 
that  good  will  finally  win  a  great  victory;  but  these  facts 
do  not  warrant  the  conclusion  that  the  fall  of  man  was 
necessary,  or  that  God  is  in  any  way  the  author  of  evil 
except  so  far  as  He  has  permitted  evil  to  exist.  Why  He 
has  permitted  it  to  exist  may  not  be  very  evident  to  even 
the  wisest  philosopher.  Nevertheless  there  is  a  suggestion, 
in  the  facts  stated,  which  may  help  us  to  solve  the  problem 
before  us.  Could  man  have  achieved  his  liberty  in  any 
other  way  than  by  the  method  he  adopted  ?  Up  to  the  time 
of  eating  the  forbidden  fruit  he  was  simply  negatively 
good.  The  prohibition  kept  him  in  this  state.  His  good- 
ness consisted  in  refraining  from  evil.  It  was  simply  the 
goodness  which  comes  by  legal  restrictions. 

But  this  was  not  the  kind  of  man  which  God  had  in  view 
in  the  making  of  him.  While  man  was  finished,  so  far  as 
his  creation  was  concerned,  he  is  still  in  the  process  of 
making.  The  tragedy  in  Eden  was  overruled  so  as  to 
contribute  to  this  process.  The  ground  was  cursed,  but  it 
was  for  man's  sake.    He  was  cast  out  of  the  garden  into 


THEOLOGICAL    PROBLEMS  167 

the  world  of  conflict,  so  that  this  conflict  might  hammer 
him  into  the  shape  desired  by  his  creator.  This  hammer- 
ing process  has  been  attended  by  much  suffering  and  dis- 
aster, but,  after  all,  it  is  the  only  way  by  which  the  pure 
gold  of  character  can  possibly  be  made  manifest.  It 
is  by  the  cross  that  we  reach  the  crown.  Possibly  it  may 
be  said  in  truth  that  man  achieved  his  liberty  by  disobeying 
God,  but  the  price  of  this  liberty  was  death.  This  is  still 
the  price  of  liberty.  Nations  have  had  to  pay  this  price 
as  individuals  have  done;  and  this  will  perhaps  be  the 
case  as  long  as  the  struggle  continues  which  was  precipi- 
tated by  the  fall  of  man  in  Eden. 

Just  here  we  touch  a  very  important  fact.  The  modern 
view  of  the  world  largely  tends  to  minimise  the  exceeding 
sinfulness  of  sin.  But  this  extreme  conclusion  is  reached 
mainly  because  our  modern  thinkers  do  not  distinguish 
between  sin  and  its  results.  Sin  itself  must  always  be 
hateful  to  him  who  cannot  look  upon  it  with  the  least  al- 
lowance. But,  after  all,  the  effects  of  sin  may  be  remedial 
in  their  influence.  In  our  Materia  Medica  there  are  many 
poisons  that  are  used  as  remedies  in  curing  disease.  They 
are  no  less  poisons  because,  taken  in  certain  quantities, 
their  final  effect  is  curative.  Precisely  so  it  is  with  sin. 
It  is  itself  a  terrible  poison,  but  its  effects  may  be  over- 
ruled and  circumscribed  so  that  the  very  disasters  which 
sin  produces  may  contribute  to  final  good.  But  however 
this  may  be,  it  is  undoubtedly  certain  that  sin  is  here  and 
its  effects  all  around  us,  and  whoever  is  wise  will  not 
shut  his  eyes  to  this  fact,  but  will  seek  to  do  all  in  his 
power  to  alleviate  the  suffering  which  sin  produces  by 
overruling  its  effects  in  the  interest  of  good. 

One  thing,  however,  should  be  noticed  at  this  point  in 
order  that  we  may  have  an  adequate  conception  of  the 
fall  and  its  consequences.     The  word  knowledge  in  the 


i68  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

statement  concerning  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil  meant  much  more  than  is  usually  meant  by  that 
word.  It  was  an  experimental  knowledge  which  Adam 
had.  He  knew  the  difference  between  good  and  evil  from 
the  effect  upon  his  own  life.  Indeed,  knowledge  which  does 
not  come  from  personal  experience  is  never  satisfactory. 
Very  few  are  willing  to  take  the  testimony  of  others-  with 
respect  to  the  result  of  any  particular  course  of  conduct. 
Most  people  must  test  the  matter  for  themselves.  They 
must  actually  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  taste  its  quality, 
and  realise  its  effects  in  order  that  they  may  be  satisfied. 
This  fact  stands  right  in  the  way  of  the  formation  of 
character,  and  yet  it  may  contribute  to  the  highest  develop- 
ment of  character.  We  say  that  experience  is  a  great  teacher, 
though  it  is  often  very  costly.  A  burnt  child  dreads  the  fire ; 
but  perhaps  no  persuasion  could  keep  the  child  from  testing 
the  quality  of  the  fire.  We  think  we  must  eat  for  our- 
selves the  forbidden  fruit  in  order  that  we  may  gain  the 
real  knowledge  of  experience.  Anyway,  while  Adam  paid 
dearly  for  this  experimental  knowledge,  God  mercifully 
now  overrules  pain,  sorrow,  and  disaster,  which  came 
through  man's  disobedience,  so  that  all  these  may  con- 
tribute to  man's  final  triumph  and  glorification.  Thus  it 
is  ever  true  that 

"From  seeming  evil  He's  still  educing  goed, 
And  better  thence  again,  and  better  still, 
In  infinite  progression." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the  preacher  will 
meet  with  many  objections  to  Christianity  that  are  neither 
modern  nor  sensible.  Indeed,  no  objection  to  Christianity 
can  be  sensible,  for  the  reason  that  Christianity  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  whole  nature  of  man  as  he  now  is  and  as 
he  is  to  be.    Nevertheless,  the  faithful  minister  must  not 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  169 

entirely  ignore  even  quibbles  with  respect  to  the  faith,  and 
especially  when  these  have  a  popular  currency.  One  of  these 
he  will  meet  very  frequently,  and  it  will  be  necessary  for 
him  to  show  its  absurdity,  and  consequently  its  irrele- 
vancy, even  when  it  is  almost  a  humiliation  of  intellect 
to  do  so. 

He  will  meet  those  who  will  tell  him  that  they  had  no  elec- 
tion in  the  matter  of  their  environment,  as  to  whether  they 
should  be  born  in  a  Christian  land  or  a  heathen  land,  and 
therefore  they  feel  no  responsibility  for  their  faith,  as  to 
whether  they  believe  in  Christianity  or  not.  They  do  not 
think  that  God  will  punish  them  for  their  conduct  with 
respect  to  the  faith,  no  matter  what  that  conduct  may  be; 
consequently  they  feel  no  personal  responsibility  as  regards 
the  matter,  and  so  dismiss  it  entirely  from  their  minds. 

Now,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  any  one  can  be  very 
serious  in  presenting  such  a  shallow  reason  for  rejecting 
the  Gospel.  Still,  it  must  be  confessed  that  not  a  few  find 
this  a  convenient  hiding  place  to  shield  them  from  the 
searching  rays  of  Gospel  light. 

It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  by  parity  of  reason- 
ing it  is  easy  to  show  that  no  one  is  responsible  for  any 
kind  of  conduct.  The  thief  had  no  election  in  determining 
whether  he  should  be  born  in  the  country  that  prohibits 
stealing  or  in  a  country  where  might  makes  right.  It 
is  no  doubt  true  that  environment  exerts  a  large  influence 
in  determining  character,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  all 
parts  of  that  environment  must  be  taken  into  consideration 
when  we  are  estimating  the  results.  If  one  is  born  in 
a  Gospel  land,  that  very  fact  is  an  important  element  in 
the  estimate  we  make  of  his  responsibility.  The  more  light 
we  have,  the  more  responsibility.  If  our  lives  have  been  cast 
in  pleasant  places  we  ought  to  be  thankful  for  this,  and 
we  ought  also  to  be  willing  to  meet  the  additional  responsi- 


I70  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

bility  which  rests  upon  us  because  we  have  been  thus  fa- 
voured. 

Akin  to  the  foregoing  ridiculous  objection  is  that  which 
claims  that  as  God  made  us  and  placed  us  here  in  this  world, 
He  and  He  alone  is  responsible  for  what  we  are  and  what 
we  must  be.  Now  this  objection  assumes  that  man  is  an 
automaton — a  mere  machine  which  acts  only  as  it  is 
acted  upon.  But  man  is  something  nobler  than  that.  The 
very  privilege  of  choice,  to  which  I  have  already  called 
attention,  is  itself  a  magnificent  endowment.  It  is  true 
that  this  privilege  may  be  much  abused,  but  this  can  be 
said  of  all  great  privileges.  Every  right  to  use  a  thing 
carries  with  it  the  possibility  of  its  abuse.  It  is  freely 
admitted  that  God  could  have  made  a  being  incapable  of 
sinning,  but  he  would  not  have  been  a  man.  Indeed,  he 
would  have  been  practically  a  machine,  as  has  already  been 
intimated.  But  God  did  not  plan  to  make  a  machine,  but 
a  man,  and  to  make  a  man,  in  the  true  meaning  of  that 
term,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  have  the  power  to  do 
evil  as  well  as  good;  and  this  is  precisely  the  kind  of 
being  man  is.  The  very  fact  that  he  can  reject  the  divine 
will,  and  even  challenge  Omnipotence  to  arms,  shows  man's 
immeasurable  greatness,  and  at  once  constitutes  him  what 
he  is  declared  to  be,  only  a  little  lower  than  God.  Fatal- 
ism, therefore,  has  no  place  in  a  reasonable  anthropology. 
Man  in  any  environment  is  responsible  for  his  acts,  though 
doubtless  the  Divine  Father  will  make  due  allowance  for 
circumstances  over  which  man  has  no  control.  Indeed, 
the  Scriptures  clearly  teach  that  the  final  determination 
of  character  will  depend  much  upon  opportunity,  and  con- 
sequently no  injustice  will  be  done  to  any  one,  no  matter 
where  he  may  have  been  born  or  where  he  may  have  lived. 
But  surely  the  man  who  lives  in  this  enlightened  age  and 
in  this  God-favoured  country  will  have  less  excuse  to  offer 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  171 

than  any  other  man  on  the  face  of  the  earth  for  having 
rejected  the  Gospel,  when  he  shall  be  called  upon  to  give 
an  account  for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body.  No  finespun 
theory,  made  out  of  philosophical  speculations,  nor  any 
stubborn  wilfulness  can  possibly  avail  in  excusing  men 
who  live  in  this  sunlight  age  and  in  this  land  of  Bibles, 
whatever  may  be  said  in  extenuation  of  the  failure  of 
others  less  favoured  if  they  fail  to  accept  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.    Where  much  is  given  much  will  be  required. 

(3)  SoTEEiOLOGY. — The  doctrine  of  salvation  embraces 
practically  the  whole  scheme  of  redemption,  though  for 
the  sake  of  clearness  it  is  usually  treated  as  a  separate 
division.  In  such  a  division  we  may  properly  confine  our 
investigation  to  a  few  simple  elementary  facts  and  prin- 
ciples which  are  fundamental  with  respect  to  the  whole 
matter  of  soteriology. 

One  thing  is  very  certain,  viz.,  the  preacher  will  be 
compelled  to  have  much  to  do  with  this  subject ;  and  some 
of  the  most  difficult  recurring  problems,  which  he  will  be 
called  upon  to  solve,  may  be  classed  in  the  division  now 
under  consideration.  As  a  rule,  when  the  unsaved  have 
had  their  attention  arrested  by  the  Gospel  they  are  not 
specially  interested  in  either  theology  or  anthropology,  as 
these  are  usually  treated ;  but  they  are  intensely  interested 
in  the  question  of  their  salvation;  and  this  being  true,  it 
is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  preacher  should 
be  well  prepared  to  meet  such  difficulties  as  are  almost 
sure  to  rise  in  the  minds  of  those  who  are  to  be  instructed. 
Probably  the  very  simplicity  of  the  subject  of  salvation,  as 
it  is  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  is  mainly  responsible  for 
the  general  confusion  which  prevails  on  this  subject 
throughout  Christendom. 

Doubtless  many  think  the  plan  of  salvation,  as  revealed 


172  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

in  the  Scriptures,  is  entirely  too  simple,  too  easily  appre- 
hended, and  too  easily  appropriated,  and  consequently  they 
have  thought  it  necessary  to  amend  in  several  respects  the 
divine  revelation.  This,  however,  is  hazardous  work.  In- 
deed, it  ought  to  be  almost  self-evident  that  a  Gospel  which 
is  to  be  carried  into  all  the  world  and  preached  to  every 
creature  must  be  necessarily  very  simple  in  each  term,  as 
well  as  in  its  general  content,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
adapted  to  all  classes  and  conditions  of  the  people.  If 
it  were  a  Gospel  intended  exclusively  for  the  benefit  of 
trained  theologians,  then  we  might  expect  something  like 
a  scientific  and  scholastic  treatment  of  salvation.  But  as 
this  latter  class  is  infinitesimally  small,  in  comparison  with 
the  great  mass  of  humanity  for  which  the  Gospel  is  in- 
tended, undoubtedly  we  have  a  right  to  expect  that  divine 
wisdom  would  make  the  Gospel  message  just  what  it  is, 
so  easily  apprehended  that  even  the  wayfaring  man, 
though  a  simpleton,  need  not  err  therein. 

I  am  emphasising  the  simplicity  of  salvation  because  I 
am  sure  it  is  precisely  at  this  point  where  most  preachers 
make  a  great  mistake  in  dealing  with  the  unconverted. 
The  servant  of  Naaman  was  right  when  he  reproved  his 
master  for  refusing  to  do  what  God  had  told  him  just 
because  it  was  a  simple  thing  to  dip  seven  times  in  the 
River  Jordan  in  order  to  be  cured  of  leprosy.  The  average 
man  thinks  that  some  great  thing  must  be  done  for  him, 
or  rather  some  great  demonstration  of  power  manifested 
in  him  or  around  him,  in  order  that  he  may  be  cured  of 
sin.  But  this  is  not  the  divine  method.  Even  in  nature 
power  resides  in  silent  courses.  But  this  very  silence  is 
an  evidence  of  the  grandeur  of  what  is  accomplished.  When 
nature  is  working  out  her  greatest  results,  and  when  her 
most  powerful  forces  are  brought  into  active  exercise,  then 
silence  is  always  the  charmed  circle  in  which  the  work  is 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  173 

done.  When  spring  builds  her  beautiful  temple,  covering 
it  with  tender  foliage,  filling  it  with  the  loveliest  flowers, 
and  painting  it  with  the  sparkling  sunbeams  of  the  morn- 
ing, no  sound  of  the  axe  or  hammer  is  heard.  When  sum- 
mer smiles  and  waves  her  thousand  fields  of  grain;  when 
autumn  looks  sad  and  reels  beneath  the  ripened  fruit; 
when  winter  shakes  his  icy  locks  and  frost-nymphs  creep 
to  every  tender  shrub  and  nature's  breath  is  stopped,  all 
this  and  more  is  done;  and  yet  no  voice  is  heard  to  speak, 
no  jarring  sound  breaks  on  the  silence  deep,  save  that  which 
man  in  weakness  utters,  and  uttering  which,  he  dies,  a 
thing  of  dust. 

Nature  is  grace  in  symbol.  The  method  of  God  is  the 
same  in  each.  Simplicity  is  the  most  comprehensive  word 
in  the  divine  government,  as  regards  both  physical  and 
spiritual  things.  Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  never- 
theless true,  to  be  simple  is  to  be  profound.  Clear  water 
reveals  what  is  in  it,  even  to  great  depths,  while  muddy 
water  practically  reveals  nothing  beyond  its  surface.  A 
simple  Gospel  reveals  the  divine  wisdom,  power,  and  good- 
ness, while  a  Gospel  which  has  become  a  muddy  stream, 
through  human  admixtures,  practically  reveals  nothing 
but  the  weakness  of  human  nature  which  seeks  to  improve 
upon  what  God  has  made. 

However,  in  dealing  with  the  problems  which  are  sure 
to  confront  the  preacher,  with  respect  to  soteriology,  it 
will  help  him  to  make  his  work  effective  if  he  will  look 
at  the  whole  subject  from  both  the  divine  side  and  the 
human  side.  While  it  is  certainly  true  that  the  divine  and 
human  cannot  be  absolutely  separated  in  the  plan  of  salva- 
tion, nevertheless,  for  practical  purposes,  it  is  sometimes 
better  to  make  this  separation,  at  least  in  soteriology,  so 
as  to  avoid  confusion  in  the  minds  of  those  who  may  not 
readily  understand  all  that  is  involved  in  the  case. 


174  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Looked  at  from  the  standpoint  of  what  God  does  in  the 
matter  of  salvation,  it  is  all-important  to  make  it  clear 
that  every  convert  is  the  result  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  agency ; 
and  yet  it  is  probably  true  that  nothing  in  connection  with 
the  salvation  of  souls  has  been  more  confused  than  the 
office  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  effort  to  separate 
its  agency  from  the  human  side  of  this  question,  and  to 
regard  its  work  as  practically  independent  of  what  men 
are  to  do  themselves,  as  well  as  what  instrumentalities  must 
be  used  in  order  to  the  Holy  Spirit's  efficiency,  may  be 
regarded  as  among  the  prime  factors  which  have  con- 
tributed to  much  of  the  failure  which  has  resulted  in  the 
efforts  of  Christians  to  convert  the  world.  Satan  could 
not  have  invented  a  greater  hindering  cause  to  the  success 
of  the  Gospel  than  the  false  view  of  spiritual  influence 
which  has  prevailed  to  a  large  extent  throughout  Christen- 
dom since  the  days  of  St.  Augustine.  Nor  can  we  hope  for 
any  triumph  of  the  Gospel  commensurate  with  the  impera- 
tive needs  of  humanity  and  the  opportunities  which  are  the 
special  inheritance  of  the  twentieth  century  until  the  proper 
relation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  church  and  to  the  world 
is  clearly  understood  and  emphasised  in  all  the  pulpits  of 
Christendom. 

The  preacher  must  distinguish  between  things  that  differ. 
He  must  not  confound  the  indwelling  of  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  church  with  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  respect 
to  those  who  are  outside  of  the  church.  Let  us  clearly 
understand  a  few  most  important  things  before  we  proceed 
any  further. 

First  of  all  let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  while  we 
may  regard  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  personality,  it  is  well 
to  remember  that  the  Bible  does  not  make  much  of  this 
personality,  and  for  the  most  part  does  not  emphasise  it 
at  all.    It  is  very  suggestive,  I  think,  that  the  article  before 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  175 

the  Greek  Pneuma  is  used  only  when  the  spirit  is  consid- 
ered objectively,  and  the  article  is  never  used  when  the 
spirit  is  considered  subjectively.  It  is  also  true  that  the 
article  is  not  used  when  reference  is  to  the  gifts,  operation, 
or  manifestations  of  the  spirit  in  men;  nor  is  it  used  when 
the  disciples  are  said  to  be  filled  with  the  spirit,  to  walk 
in  or  to  receive  the  spirit.  There  are  a  few  apparent  ex- 
ceptions to  this  rule,  but  these  are  only  apparent,  not  real. 

Hence  it  will  be  seen  that  while  the  article  is  used  in 
connection  with  the  spirit  when  objectively  considered, 
and  while  the  personality  of  the  spirit  is  distinctly  taught 
in  the  Scriptures,  it  is  also  true  that  this  personality  is 
largely,  if  not  completely,  sunk  when  the  indwelling  of  the 
spirit  is  under  consideration.  I  think  we  may  readily  be- 
lieve that  there  is  a  philosophical  reason  for  this  remark- 
able distinction,  which  is  at  least  very  suggestive  not  only 
as  regards  the  carefulness  with  which  the  language  of 
Scripture  is  selected,  but  also  with  regard  to  the  reason- 
ableness of  Scriptural  teaching. 

Another  important  fact  should  just  here  be  strongly 
emphasised.  '  Holy  spirit  dwells  in  the  church,  in  the 
preacher,  and  in  the  Word,  which  the  preacher  proclaims. 
Just  how  this  indwelling  takes  place,  no  one  can  perhaps 
fully  explain,  any  more  than  the  union  of  the  body,  soul, 
and  spirit  can  be  explained ;  and  yet  the  fact  in  one  case  is 
as  self-evident  as  in  the  other.  Nor  must  the  union  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  church  or  in  the  believer  be  confounded 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  truth  which  is  presented  by 
the  believer  to  the  unconverted  for  acceptance.  God  is  a 
God  of  order,  not  of  confusion.  He  works  by  means,  and 
so  far  as  we  know  never  without  means.  When  He  created 
the  universe  He  used  his  word  as  the  instrumentality 
through  which  his  creative  power  was  exerted.  He  still  uses 
that  word  in  the  work  of  the  new  creation  in  Christ  Jesus. 


176  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

In  this  connection  I  desire  to  quote  liberally  from  one 
of  the  ablest  works  on  the  Holy  Spirit  that  has  ever  been 
written.  I  refer  to  that  of  Dr.  Thomas  W.  Jenkyn,  of 
Coward  College,  England.  I  prefer  to  use  his  language 
for  the  reason  that  some  of  his  most  radical  utterances 
would  be  regarded  as  heterodox  if  I  were  to  utter  them 
myself. 

Referring  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Word,  Dr.  Jenkyn 
says:  "In  the  Word,  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
now  as  really  present  as  in  the  days  of  inspiration.  In- 
spiration did  not  consist  in  the  state  and  the  feelings  of 
the  mind  that  was  individually  inspired,  but  it  consisted 
in  the  truths  or  doctrines  conveyed  and  breathed  into  the 
soul. 

"  The  real  shrine  of  the  divine  presence  was  not  the 
soul  of  the  inspired  prophet  or  Apostle,  but  the  truth  and 
message  in  the  soul,  and  which  was  expressed  by  the  soul 
as  it  was  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  inspired  truths 
were  intended  for  the  permanent  use  of  the  church,  but 
as  to  the  inspired  souls  themselves, — Hhe  fathers,  where 
are  they?'  The  inspired  souls  that  received  these  truths 
are  not  with  us ;  but  the  truths  themselves,  the  real  shrines 
of  the  inspiring  Spirit,  are  still  with  us :  and  the  inspiring 
Spirit  is  as  much  in  them  now — they  are  now  as  much 
the  inspirations  of  the  ever-present  Spirit, — as  in  the  first 
moment  of  their  transmission  to  inspired  men. 

"  The  constant  and  permanent  presence  of  the  saving 
power  and  influence  is  present  in  the  Christian,  and  in  the 
church,  only  as  the  Spirit's  word,  the  fixed  shrine  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  is  possessed  and  held  by  them,  in  its  purity, 
and  in  its  entireness.  Where  the  Word  is  not,  there  the 
converting  presence  and  the  saving  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  not.  Where  the  Word  is  introduced,  there  his 
presence  and  influence  are  introduced.    Where  the  Word 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  177 

is  rejected  or  lost,  there  his  presence  and  influence  are 
lost.  Whosoever  pretends  to  the  influence  and  presence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  without  the  Word,  or  against  the  Word, 
or  beyond  the  Word,  is  an  impostor.  In  the  Word  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  ever  present  without  fluctua- 
tion, diminution,  or  uncertainty:  present  as  surely  and 
abidingly  as  magnetism  in  the  loadstone,  or  light  in  the 
presence  of  the  sun,  or,  to  use  Scriptural  metaphors,  as 
vitality  is  in  a  seed,  or  the  waters  of  salvation  in  a  well. 
Where  the  Word  of  God  dwells  in  a  church  richly,  there 
the  developments  or  the  presence  and  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  are  proportionately  extended  and  numerous. 
Where,  in  a  country  or  community,  through  abounding 
iniquity,  the  Word  has  no  place,  there  ^  Ichabod '  might  be 
inscribed,  for  the  divine  influence,  the  glory,  is  departed. 
This  awful  fact  does  not  consist  in  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  forsaking  the  Shekinah,  but  in  the  Shekinah,  the 
shrine  and  symbol  of  the  presence,  leaving  a  people.  In 
the  Word  itself,  in  the  doctrines  and  duties,  ordinances  and 
institutions,  of  the  Gospel,  as  in  the  ancient  Shekinah,  is 
the  presence  of  God  to  be  found,  notwithstanding  the  con- 
duct of  men,  and  the  church  must  seek  it  in  these,  not 
in  frames  and  feelings,  which  are  the  mere  vanes  of  all 
that  is  changing  and  transitory.  While  possessing  the 
presence  of  the  Word,  infallibly  calculate  on  the  presence 
and  saving  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  The  reader  will  please  to  bear  in  mind  that  we  treat 
now  of  only  the  presence,  or  the  seat  of  the  presence  and 
influences,  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  not  of  their  develop- 
ments and  manifestations.  Magnetism  is  always  present 
in  the  loadstone,  but  its  development  will  take  place  only 
in  certain  combinations.  Whoever  will  place  the  magnet  in 
these  combinations,  and  not  otherwise,  can  always  cal- 
culate on  the  influence  being  present  and  active.    .Vitality 


178  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

is  always  in  the  seed,  and  whoever  will  plant,  or  sow,  that 
seed,  and  put  it  in  combination  with  'good  ground,'  may 
expect  confidently  that  God  will  give  the  increase,  and 
renew  the  face  of  the  earth.  With  the  same  certainty, 
may  the  Christian  church  calculate  on  the  converting  pres- 
ence and  saving  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  being  de- 
veloped wherever  the  Word  is,  in  the  given  combinations, 
mixed  with  faith  in  them  that  hear  it." 

In  speaking  of  conversion  the  same  author  uses  the  fol- 
lowing very  suggestive  language: 

"  On  the  supposition  that  conversion  is  a  moral  change, 
and  not  a  physical  transformation  and  metamorphosis,  we 
cannot  connect  it  with  the  agency  of  God,  unless  we  trace 
it  to  the  influence  of  motives.  If  conversion  be  some  phys- 
ical transformation,  effected  in  the  psychological  soul,  or 
the  intellectual  spirit,  by  a  direct  and  immediate  agency 
of  God,  it  must  be  of  course  necessarily  ascribed  to  God; 
but  in  such  a  case  the  transformation  would  be  miraculous ; 
and,  if  it  be  a  physical  miracle,  it  ceases  to  be  the  duty  of 
the  sinner,  and  therefore  all  contrivance  and  an  arranged 
adaptation  of  moral  means  to  produce  it  are  at  once  de- 
stroyed; for  a  miracle  in  ethics  is  as  much  supermoral  as 
a  miracle  in  physics  is  supernatural.  To  illustrate  the  ad- 
justed systems  of  divine  operations,  supermoral  facts  can 
be  of  no  more  use  to  the  theologian  than  supernatural 
facts  are  to  the  philosopher.  If  man  be  the  originator  of 
his  own  volitions  and  wishes,  it  is  difficult  if  not  impossible 
to  show  in  what  way  his  good  desires,  especially  his  altered 
wishes,  can  be  ascribed  to  God,  or  to  illustrate  how  God 
can  be  the  cause  of  them.  Even  conceding  this  self-de- 
termining power  of  the  mind  to  be  real,  since  in  the  whole 
world  of  mind  there  is  no  instance  of  its  being  exercised 
for  Christian  ends,  except  where  Christian  truth  is  present, 
to  what  can  we  ascribe  its  Christian  determinateness  at 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  179 

all  but  to  Christian  motives?  But,  since  God  is  the  first 
cause  of  truth,  and  since  He  has  revealed  that  He  reasons 
with  men,  reproves  them,  renews  and  sanctifies  them,  by 
means  of  truth ;  when  we  thus  ascribe  the  moral  phenomenon 
to  God,  we  are  on  the  firmest  grounds  of  argument,  and 
in  full  harmony  with  every  truth  in  the  universe.  Sup- 
pose a  man  to  change  his  mind  on  a  given  subject  in  con- 
sequence of  a  letter  received  by  him  from  a  friend  in 
India,  but  read  to  him  by  another  person;  and  the  query 
to  be  proposed.  Who  changed  this  man's  mind?  The 
answer  would  be  something  like  the  following :  he  himself 
altered  his  views,  but  this  he  would  not  have  done  but  for 
the  letter;  he  could  not  read  the  letter  himself,  therefore 
it  was  read  to  him,  and  the  reader  had  an  instrumental 
agency  in  his  change  of  mind.  No  one  can  explain  how 
this  friend  had  influenced  his  mind,  or  how  he  had  con- 
veyed his  influence  to  ink  and  paper.  The  changing  in- 
fluence was  in  the  truths  of  the  letter,  yet  it  was  not  the 
mere  influence  of  the  truths,  but  the  influence  of  his  friend 
conveyed  in  those  truths.  This  would  not  be  moral  suasion, 
for  no  other  person  presenting  the  same  truths  would  have 
produced  the  same  effects.  It  would  not  be  aflBrmed  that 
the  honour  of  having  changed  that  mind  was  due  either  to 
the  letter,  the  receiver,  or  the  reader,  but  to  the  author  of  the 
letter  in  India;  yet  he  did  not  accomplish  it  without  the 
due  operation  of  the  others  in  their  order.  Drop  the  letter 
from  the  links  in  the  operation  and  it  is  impossible  to 
trace  the  change  to  the  friend  in  India;  put  it  in  the  series, 
and  it  accounts  for  the  whole  process.  Without  the  instru- 
mentality of  the  Gospel,  man,  in  the  phenomenon  of 
conversion,  is  all  in  all;  for,  if  he  originated  or  self-de- 
termined the  change,  he  is  his  own  saviour;  or,  if  he  was 
converted  miraculously,  his  own  testimony  is  the  only  evi- 
dence; but  with  the  instrumentality  of  the  Gospel,  the 


i8o  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Holy  Spirit  alone  is  the  author  and  originator  of  conver- 
sion." 

I  cannot  close  this  important  subject  without  making 
another  quotation  from  Dr.  Jenkyn's  remarkable  volume, 
under  the  subject  entitled  "Why  Saving  Influences  Are 
Not  More  Manifested  " : 

"  No  salvation  can  be  expected  where  there  are  no  means 
of  salvation.  Good  men  seem  to  understand  fully  the  prin- 
ciples and  operations  of  every  other  influence  that  comes 
from  God,  except  saving  influences.  They  know  that  all 
the  physical  influences  that  renew  the  face  of  the  earth 
come  from  God,  but  they  take  care  to  use  all  means  to  put 
their  farms  and  gardens  in  a  position  which  shall  be 
adapted  to  the  operation  of  these  benign  energies ;  and  they 
feel  conscious  that  these  influences,  though  present  and 
powerful,  would  avail  them  nothing  while  the  means  were 
neglected  by  which  they  operate.  All  good  men  recognise 
also  that  the  intellectual  influences  which  enlarge  and 
exalt  the  mind  come  from  God;  but  they  very  laudably 
take  good  heed  that,  by  the  discipline  of  a  wise  and  good 
education,  the  minds  of  their  children  be  put  in  a  right 
position  for  these  influences  to  act  upon  them. 

"Why  does  not  the  church  act  thus  in  its  estimate  of 
saving  influences?  It  is  because  its  estimate  is  wrong; 
and  its  estimate  is  wrong  because  it  has  been  formed  either 
by  the  traditions  of  theological  men,  instead  of  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  or  by  the  misinterpretation  of  Scrip- 
tural facts  in  the  miraculous  history  of  the  Jews.  The 
constitution  of  the  Jewish  church  was  a  theocracy,  a  gov- 
ernment by  miracles,  and  by  immediate  divine  interposi- 
tions. The  most  conspicuous  penalties  and  rewards,  in 
this  form  of  government,  consisted  of  physical  evils  or 
temporal  good.  Hence,  for  the  disobedience  or  rebellion 
of  the  people,  the  Supreme  Organ  of  the  theocracy  sus- 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  i8i 

pended  the  physical  influences  of  the  season,  commanded 
the  clouds  to  rain  no  rain  on  the  land,  and  withheld  or 
blasted  the  harvests.  This  administration  of  physical  in- 
fluences, under  the  theocracy,  has  been  applied  by  many 
Christians  to  the  exhibition  of  saving  influences  under  the 
official  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  theology  of  the 
Bible  never  represents  the  ministration  of  the  Spirit  and 
the  exhibition  of  saving  influences  under  the  official  agency 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  being,  like  the  theocracy,  of  a  miracu- 
lous character,  and  without  the  operation  of  means." 

This  reasoning  may  not  be  regarded  by  some  as  entirely 
satisfactory.  Indeed,  it  is  highly  probable  that  not  a  few 
will  consider  it  as  a  practical  repudiation  of  Bible  testi- 
mony. But  may  not  this  conclusion  be  the  result  of  pre- 
conceived opinion  rather  than  from  an  unbiassed  induction 
of  biblical  teaching?  Most  of  us  know  something  of  the 
influence  of  prejudice,  and  consequently  we  ought  to  know 
that  any  view  of  a  subject  contrary  to  our  long-established 
opinions  will  probably  be  rejected  by  us  without  even  a 
candid  investigation.  This  is  precisely  what  happens  with 
most  persons  who  find  fault  with  the  arguments  to  which 
attention  has  just  been  called. 

At  least  one  thing  can  be  said  for  the  view  which  has 
been  presented.  It  certainly  emphasises  an  important  side 
of  the  question.  It  may  be  that  the  emphasis  has  been  stated 
with  more  force  than  the  facts  will  justify;  but  however 
this  may  be,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  opposite  view 
of  spiritual  influence  in  conversion  has  been  pressed  so 
far  as  to  come  dangerously  near  to  the  point  where  human 
responsibility  practically  ceases.  In  any  case  it  is  im- 
portant for  the  preacher  while  dealing  with  honest  in- 
quiries to  at  least  guard  well  the  following  important 
facts: 

(1)  It  is  a  fact  that  no  view  of  spiritual  influence  can 


i82  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

be  correct  which  does  not  regard  both  the  divine  and  human 
side  in  the  plan  of  salvation.  There  must  be  cooperation 
between  God  and  man,  or  else  any  plan  must  fail. 

(2)  The  freedom  of  the  human  will  must  be  provided 
for  in  any  view  of  spiritual  influence  which  is  worthy  of 
a  moment's  consideration.  Man  must  not  be  made  a  mere 
machine  in  order  to  give  glory  to  God.  This  glory  can  be 
given  only  by  regarding  man  as  a  reasoning  being,  and 
therefore  capable  of  being  influenced  by  arguments  and 
motives  rather  than  by  incantations  or  impulses  which  can 
never  appeal  intelligently  to  the  unconverted. 

(3)  The  Gospel  itself  must  be  protected  from  any  theory 
or  philosophy  which  detracts  from  it  as  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth.  I  think  the 
preacher  ought  not  to  limit  the  divine  side  in  the  plan 
of  salvation  even  where  revelation  seems  to  permit  him  to 
do  so ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  certainly  ought  not  to  give 
prominent  place  to  theories  and  methods  concerning  which 
the  Word  of  God  is  entirely  silent.  It  is  against  these  extra- 
revelations,  or  these  imaginary  revelations,  that  the  preacher 
should  make  his  solemn  protest;  and  when  he  has  done 
this  faithfully,  he  may  leave  the  question  of  spiritual  in- 
fluence just  where  it  is  left  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  These 
Scriptures  undoubtedly  teach  that  the  Holy  Spirit  operates 
through  the  written  Word,  through  the  church,  and  through 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  but  so  far  as  any  specific  case 
is  concerned,  we  do  not  find  in  these  Scriptures  anything 
that  justifies  the  popular  modern  view  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
goes  before  the  church  or  the  Gospel  and  prepares  the 
heart  for  the  reception  of  the  Gospel  message.  At  any  rate 
when  the  church  has  done  its  duty  and  the  preacher  has 
done  his  duty  in  proclaiming  faithfully  the  Gospel  in  its 
simplicity  and  purity,  it  is  certainly  both  wise  and  prudent 
to  refuse  to  enter  upon  that  unexplored  region  of  occult 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  183 

influences  concerning  which  the  Scriptures  are  as  silent  as 
the  grave. 

Doubtless  the  main  reason  why  the  office  and  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  have  been  confused,  or  else  completely 
perverted,  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  whole  subject  of 
conversion  has  become  "confusion  worse  confounded," 
owing  to  both  a  false  Anthropology  and  a  false  Soteri- 
ology. 

That  something  called  conversion  is  taught  in  the  Bible 
no  one  who  reads  aright  can  for  a  moment  question;  but 
that  the  public  understanding  of  it  is  correct  I  think  may 
be  fairly  doubted.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  difference  of 
opinion,  at  least  among  those  who  are  regarded  as  Evan- 
gelical, as  to  the  need  of  conversion.  I  believe  that  all  are 
in  harmony  at  that  point.  But  when  we  come  to  consider 
what  is  really  meant  by  conversion,  then  there  is  at  once 
a  wide  divergence  between  the  popular  understanding  and 
that  view  which  a  critical  knowledge  of  the  subject  must 
necessarily  yield.  This  difference  may  be  clearly  indicated 
by  asking  a  few  questions :  Does  the  man  convert  himself, 
or  is  it  something  done  for  him?  Is  conversion  an  act  of 
the  creature  or  of  the  Creator?  Or,  in  other  words,  is  it 
a  human  or  divine  act?  The  popular  view  is  that  it  is 
wholly  a  divine  act;  that  the  human  is  entirely  passive, 
simply  receiving  what  is  done  through  divine  agency. 
Hence,  we  are  constantly  hearing  such  expressions  as  the 
following:  "When  I  was  converted,"  "He  went  to  the 
meeting,  and  was  converted,"  etc.,  etc.;  all  referring  to 
something  which  the  subject  had  done  for  him  rather  than 
something  he  did  himself.  And  this  view  is  at  least  par- 
tially justified  by  the  Authorised  Version.  In  that  Ver- 
sion lnc(ppici)(ji  (epistrepho)  is  rendered  six  times  by  the 
phrase  "  Be  ye  converted,"  which  conveys  a  passive  signifi- 
cation, as  if  the  persons  referred  to  are  finally  made  to 


i84  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

yield  to  some  foreign  influence  which  they  were  at  the 
time  resisting.  But  the  idea  of  passivity  is  not  in  the 
original  at  all.  The  original  occurs  thirty-nine  times  in 
the  New  Testament,  in  eighteen  of  which  it  expresses  a 
mere  physical  act  of  turning  or  returning;  nineteen  times 
it  is  used  to  change  from  evil  to  good,  and  twice  from 
good  to  evil.  In  none  of  these  cases  does  it  ever  express 
passivity  of  the  subject.  The  corresponding  Hebrew  word 
(Shawh)  is  of  very  frequent  use  in  the  Old  Testament, 
and  almost  invariably  carries  with  it  the  force  of  activity 
upon  the  part  of  the  subject.  In  Isaiah  vi.  10,  the  Author- 
ised Version  gives  a  correct  rendering  as  regards  the  .very 
word  under  consideration.  The  passage  reads :  "  Lest  they 
see  with  their  eyes,  and  understand  with  their  heart,  and 
convert,"  etc.  It  will  be  seen  here  that  the  word  convert 
is  in  the  active  voice,  and  refers  to  something  that  the 
people  were  themselves  to  do,  and  not  to  something  that 
was  to  be  done  in  them  or  for  them.  But  where  this  same 
passage  is  found  in  the  New  Testament,  as  in  Matthew 
xiii.  15,  Mark  iv.  12,  John  xii.  40,  the  Authorised  Version 
uniformly  gives  us  a  rendering  which  regards  the  subjects 
as  entirely  passive,  and  therefore  acted  upon  rather  than 
acting  themselves.  The  Revised  Version  has  done  good 
service  in  giving  a  much  better  translation  of  the  origi- 
nal; but  why  iTTtazpiipo)  (epistrepho)  should  be  rendered 
"  turn  again  "  in  Matthew  and  Mark,  and  only  "  turn  "  in 
John,  is  certainly  beyond  the  ken  of  any  Greek  scholar 
outside  of  the  Revision  Committee.  Still,  we  must  do 
that  committee  justice  by  heartily  commending  their  dis- 
crimination in  reference  to  the  voice  of  the  verb  in  these 
places  as  well  as  in  Acts  iii.  19.  In  this  last  passage  the 
revisers  have  given  us  what  is  virtually  a  new  revelation. 
As  it  stands  in  the  Authorized  Version  it  is  really  an  en- 
tire perversion  of  the  original,  and  has  doubtless  been 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  185 

largely  instrumental  in  creating  in  the  public  mind  the 
erroneous  view  to  which  I  am  calling  attention.  It  is 
probable  that  those  who  made  the  Authorised  Version 
were  influenced  in  this  matter  by  the  Latin  Vulgate,  as 
it  uses  the  passive  voice  where  every  other  version  known 
to  me  uses  the  active.  It  is  well  known  that  King  James' 
translators  followed  very  closely  the  Latin  Vulgate,  and 
as  regards  epistrepho  they  followed  the  Vulgate  slavishly. 
Hence  it  will  be  seen  that  we  are  indebted  to  the  Eoman 
Catholic  Bible  for  one  of  the  most  blighting  errors  with 
which  modern  Christendom  is  cursed. 

What,  then,  is  the  correct  idea  of  conversion  as  taught 
in  the  Word  of  God?  In  answering  this  question  it  may 
be  well  to  approach  the  final  conclusion  by  successive  steps. 
Let  it  be  observed,  then,  first  of  all,  that  the  original 
word  everywhere  represents  an  act,  and  in  the  next  place 
that  this  act  is  performed  hy  the  subject,  and  finally  that 
the  subject  by  this  act  turns  from  his  wanderings  to  serve 
the  living  God.  Strictly  speaking,  therefore,  conversion 
denotes  what  the  sinner  does  himself,  and  not  what  is 
done  in  him  or  for  him.  It  is  his  own  act,  and  not  the 
act  of  another.  True,  the  whole  process  may  comprehend 
several  acts  instead  of  one,  as  the  term  simply  indicates 
the  fact  of  turning  rather  than  the  steps  by  which  this 
turning  is  accomplished.  But  whether  many  acts  or  one, 
whatever  is  done,  so  far  as  any  act  is  concerned,  must  be 
regarded  as  done  by  the  sinner  himself.  Hence  the  idea 
of  passivity  on  his  part  is  wholly  unscriptural,  and  is 
dangerously  misleading  the  people.  I  feel  conscious  that 
in  thus  speaking  I  am  doing  a  service  for  the  cause  of 
truth.  The  popular  mind  is  saturated  with  the  notion 
that  the  sinner  has  nothing  to  do — can,  indeed,  do  noth- 
ing— as  he  is  wholly  passive,  and  must,  therefore,  wait 
for  some  irresistihilis  gratia  to  act  for  him.    Thus  human 


i86  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

responsibility  is  practically  destroyed,  while  the  work  of 
saving  souls  is  turned  from  its  legitimate  course  to  try 
expedients  which  are  as  unscriptural  and  dangerous  as 
the  popular  view  of  conversion  is  erroneous  and  mis- 
leading. 

Let  no  one  misunderstand  what  I  have  said.  I  am 
simply  contending  for  a  sound  speech,  for  I  believe  that 
this  is  necessary  in  order  to  create  in  the  public  mind 
clear  conceptions  of  duty.  I  have  been  looking  at  the 
matter  of  salvation  mainly  from  the  human  point  of  view. 
But  there  are  two  sides  to  the  question  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end,  as  indeed  there  are  two  sides  to  everything, 
and  it  has  been  because  men  have  not  recognised  this  fact 
that  they  have  gone  from  one  extreme  to  the  other  on  this 
subject.  Some  have  ruled  out  the  human  entirely,  and 
consequently  have  set  up  a  theory  which  is  alike  dishonour- 
ing to  God  and  man.  Of  course  there  is  a  divine  side  as 
regards  even  conversion.  There  must  be  the  motive  to 
turn,  or  else  the  sinner  is  sure  to  continue  in  his  down- 
ward course.  The  presentation  of  this  motive  is  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  Gospel  or  Word  of  God. 
This  must  be  antecedent  to  any  act  of  the  sinner  Godward. 
There  must  be  a  change  of  heart,  or  genuine  repentance, 
before  the  sinner  will  turn.  The  Gospel,  which  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  everyone  that  believeth, 
must  first  of  all  be  preached  to  him.  This  Gospel  the 
sinner  must  hear,  and  then  if  he  believes,  he  should  at 
once  repent  and  turn,  or,  as  it  is  expressed  sometimes, 
repent  and  be  baptised,  for  by  thus  putting  his  faith  into 
an  overt  act,  he  is  enabled  to  bury  the  old  man  and  rise  to 
walk  a  new  life. 

Nevertheless,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  original 
word,  which  is  translated  conversion,  never  in  a  single 
instance  refers  to  either  God,  or  Christ,  or  the  Holy  Spirit, 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  187 

as  its  agent.  In  five  instances  of  the  nineteen  where  it 
relates  to  a  change  from  evil  to  good,  a  human  agent  is 
employed,  as  John  the  Baptist,  Paul,  or  some  member  of 
the  church;  and  in  the  other  fourteen  occurrences  the 
agent  is  the  person  who  is  the  subject  of  the  change.  This 
is  a  most  important  fact,  and  clearly  shows  that,  while  it 
is  proper  to  say  that  men  turn  their  fellow-men,  it  cannot 
be  said  that  the  subjects  of  this  turning  are  themselves 
passive.  Hence,  strictly  speaking,  sinners  are  not  said  to 
he  turned  to  the  Lord,  but  to  turn  to  Him.  And  it  will 
be  seen,  furthermore,  that  while  this  view  highly  honours 
God  for  wisely  devising  a  Gospel  to  meet  the  sinner's 
case,  at  the  same  time  it  greatly  deepens  human  respon- 
sibility, and  makes  it  simply  impossible  for  any  one  to 
reject  the  Gospel  without  making  his  condemnation  just. 
Hence  I  conclude,  that  while  we  must  press  upon  our 
fellow-men  the  Gospel  in  order  to  turn  them  from  evil  to 
serve  God,  the  turning  itself  must  be  the  act  of  the  men 
themselves  in  order  that  it  may  comprehend  the  Scriptural 
idea  of  conversion.  There  must  be  divine  power  exerted 
in  order  to  influence  the  sinner  to  turn,  and  that  power  is 
exerted  through  the  Gospel,  but  this  antecedent  work  must 
not  be  confounded  with  that  decisive  step  which  the  peni- 
tent believer  must  take  himself  if  he  would  fulfil  the 
requirements  of  what  the  original  word  means,  as  well  as 
what  the  apostolic  practice  was  as  regards  the  matter  of 
conversion. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  a  number  of  instrumen- 
talities employed  in  the  salvation  of  the  sinner,  and  the 
Bible  clearly  recognises  these  instrumentalities.  We  are 
not  said  to  be  saved  by  any  one  thing  alone,  but  by  a  num- 
ber of  things  in  cooperation.  The  Scriptures  clearly 
teach  that  God  saves  us,  and  that  we  are  begotten  of  God ; 
also,  that  the  grace  of  God  saves  us,  etc.    But  would  it  be 


i88  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

legitimate  to  conclude  from  these  statements  of  Scripture 
that  nothing  else  has  to  do  with  our  salvation?  Surely 
we  would  not  wish  to  exclude  the  work  of  Christ  and  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  because  the  Scriptures  ascribe 
salvation,  first  of  all,  to  the  love  of  the  Divine  Father. 
How,  then,  are  we  to  understand  the  matter?  I  think 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  the  case  whatever.  Evidently, 
when  the  Scriptures  ascribe  salvation  to  any  particular 
person  or  thing,  they  do  not  necessarily  exclude  other  per- 
sons or  things  which  may  be  mentioned  in  the  same  con- 
nection or  in  other  parts  of  the  Word  of  God. 

The  Scriptural  method  is  very  natural  and  very  simple. 
It  depends  upon  the  point  of  view  from  which  the  divine 
writer  is  contemplating  the  subject  as  to  the  agency  or 
instrumentality  he  may  name.  If  he  is  aiming  to  empha- 
sise the  originating  or  moving  cause  of  our  salvation,  he 
will  unquestionably  call  attention  to  the  love  of  God  and 
the  grace  of  God.  But  if  he  wishes  to  direct  special  atten- 
tion to  the  procuring  cause  of  our  salvation,  he  will  dwell 
upon  the  great  sacrifice  for  sin  and  uncleanness  which 
Christ  made  upon  the  cross,  and  he  will  rightfully  call 
attention  to  the  fact  that  it  is  through  his  blood  we  have 
redemption,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  But  if  the  point 
of  view  occupied  by  the  divine  writer  is  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  then  we  are  told  that  no  one  can  say  that 
Jesus  is  Lord  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Now  there  is  no 
contradiction  in  this  method.  Everything  depends  upon 
the  standpoint  from  which  the  subject  is  considered.  But 
we  may  malce  contradiction  by  refusing  to  move  the  stand- 
point, and  thus  attempt  to  confine  salvation  to  one  thing, 
when  in  fact  the  Divine  Spirit  has  ascribed  it  to  many. 

Turning  now  to  the  human  side,  we  find  the  Scriptures 
still  adopt  the  same  method  as  when  considering  the  di- 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  189 

vine  side.  Men  are  told  to  do  certain  things,  and  as  they 
do  each  one  of  these  they  are  said  to  be  saved.  And  cer- 
tainly, each  one  of  these,  considered  from  the  human  side, 
does  save,  but  not  all  in  the  same  sense,  nor  in  the  sense 
in  which  we  are  saved  by  divine  power  or  agency.  But 
these  human  acts  save  us,  nevertheless,  in  some  sense,  or 
else  the  Bible  would  not  say  so.  As  an  illustration,  let 
us  look  for  a  moment  at  faith.  Now  the  Scriptures  clearly 
say  that  faith  saves  us.  But  in  one  sense  faith  does  not 
save  us  at  all,  for  in  that  sense  Christ  ulone  can  save  us. 
But  is  there  really  any  such  thing  as  Scriptural  faith 
without  Christ?  There  must  be  the  object  of  faith  before 
faith  can  be  exercised,  and  as  Christ  is  the  object  of  our 
faith,  we  cannot  believe  Scripturally  without  resting  our 
faith  on  Him.  So,  then,  really  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
considering  faith  apart  from  Christ.  Just  so  of  calling 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord.  How  can  we  call  on  Him  in 
whom  we  have  not  believed,  and  how  can  we  believe  in 
Him  of  whom  we  have  not  heard  ?  Nevertheless  it  is  plainly 
stated  that  "  Whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  saved."  But  if  we  are  saved  by  faith  alone, 
then  surely  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  can  have 
nothing  to  do  with  our  salvation.  But  we  have  already 
seen  that  faith  alone  is  really  no  faith  at  all,  or,  as  James 
says,  is  a  dead  faith.  The  same  is  true  of  calling  upon 
the  name  of  the  Lord.  We  are  not  saved  by  simply  calling, 
but  by  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

The  Scriptures  clearly  state  that  baptism  saves  us.  (1 
Peter  iii.  21.)  But  in  what  sense  does  baptism  save  us? 
Certainly  not  in  the  same  sense  in  which  we  are  to  under- 
stand that  God  saves  us,  or  Christ  saves  us,  or  the  Holy 
Spirit  saves  us,  or  faith  saves  us,  or  calling  on  the  name 
of  the  Lord  saves  us;  but  nevertheless  baptism  does  save 
us  in  some  sense,  for  the  Word  of  God  plainly  says  so. 


190  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

In  what  sense,  then,  does  it  save  us  ?  Evidently  only  as  it 
in  some  way  relates  to  Christ,  for  baptism,  like  faith,  is 
nothing  when  taken  away  from  its  legitimate  association. 
But  baptism,  like  faith  and  calling,  is  joined  to  Christ, 
and  derives  all  its  significance  from  Him.  Without  Him 
it  is  nothing;  with  Him  it  has  its  proper  place.  It  must 
be  "towards  God  by  the  resurrection  of  Christ."  Scrip- 
tural baptism,  therefore,  cannot  be  a  mere  physical  or 
mechanical  act,  but  it  has  a  deeply  impressive  spiritual 
significance  which  at  once  attaches  to  it  very  great  im- 
portance. The  phrases  "  baptised  into  Christ,"  "  baptised 
into  His  death,"  clearly  indicate  the  significance  which 
we  are  now  claiming  for  baptism.  Baptism  is  not  effica- 
cious of  itself  in  our  salvation,  nor  is  faith,  nor  repentance, 
nor  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  but  all  of  these  are 
things  which  we  must  do  in  order  that  we  may  lay  hold  of 
the  salvation  which  has  been  provided  for  us  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  method  of  reasoning  brings  all 
the  Scriptures  into  harmony.  There  is  no  longer  even 
an  apparent  contradiction  between  those  passages  on  the 
one  hand  which  assert  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and  those 
on  the  other  which  assert  the  free  agency  of  man.  If  we 
will  carefully  consider  the  point  of  view  from  which  the 
subject  is  contemplated,  we  shall  have  no  difficulty  what- 
ever in  understanding  that  when  we  are  said  to  be  saved 
by  faith,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  baptism,  hope, 
or  indeed  any  other  instrumentality,  considered  from  the 
human  side,  the  one  thing  which  is  specially  emphasised 
must  not  be  regarded  as  excluding  any  of  the  others  men- 
tioned, but  as  only  stating  one  of  the  things  by  which  we 
are  saved,  because  this  one  thing  has  some  special  purpose 
which  is  not  provided  for  in  any  of  the  others,  or  even  in 
all  of  them  together.    But  when  the  one  thing  is  added  to 


THEOLOGICAL   PROBLEMS  191 

all  the  rest  of  the  human  acts,  the  sum  must  be  even  then 
regarded  as  simply  part  of  a  circle  which  can  only  be  com- 
pleted by  a  union  with  everything  which  belongs  to  the 
divine  side  in  the  plan  of  salvation. 

Now  the  important  fact  to  be  emphasised  with  regard 
to  the  popular  use  of  the  term  conversion  is,  that  its  wrong 
meaning  has  come  down  to  us  probably  through  an  in- 
heritance, as  has  already  been  intimated,  from  the  Latin 
or  Eoman  Catholic  Bible.  This  of  itself  is  a  suspicious 
circumstance,  and  at  once  suggests  caution  in  accepting 
the  popular  notion  of  conversion.  The  other  important 
fact  is  that,  notwithstanding  the  New  Version  corrects 
this  mistake  of  the  old,  the  popular  use  of  the  term  con- 
tinues to  carry  with  it  the  meaning  of  the  Old  Version. 
This  shows  how  difficult  it  is  to  take  a  word  back  again 
to  its  original  source,  and  put  into  it  the  exact  meaning 
which  it  had  at  the  beginning. 


XVIII 

PEOBLEM  OF  AUTHOKITY 

Perhaps  no  subject  has  been  more  abused  than  that  of 
the  final  appeal  in  religious  matters.  It  is  at  once  admitted 
that  the  problem  of  authority  has  always  been  somewhat 
difficult  to  solve.  However,  the  difficulty  no  doubt  is  chiefly 
owing  to  the  fact  that  where  personality  is  involved  (and 
it  is  always  in  some  way  involved),  then  the  desire  to  rule 
is  almost  sure  to  make  it  impossible  for  each  individual 
self  to  accept  of  any  conclusion  which  dominates  that  self. 
In  religious  matters,  however,  authority  has  been  vested 
respectively  in  the  reason,  and  the  conscience,  and  the 
Bible;  and  each  one  of  these  has  had  its  advocates  among 
theologians  and  religious  philosophers. 

But  is  not  the  main  difficulty  in  the  fact  that  the  reason, 
the  conscience,  and  the  Bible  have  been  separated  in  the 
consideration  of  the  question?  Why  should  these  be  re- 
garded singly,  when  as  a  matter  of  fact  they  are  mutually 
involved?  No  one  can  reach  any  conclusion  with  respect 
to  religion  unless  he  reasons  about  religion,  and  as  the 
question  of  morality  must  always  be  regarded  as  a  part 
at  least  of  religion,  it  follows  that  no  one  can  dispose  of 
any  religious  matter  without  bringing  the  conscience  into 
the  problem.  It  is  furthermore  true  that  all  of  our  clearly 
defined  religious  ideas  are  drawn  from  the  Bible,  and  con- 
sequently we  can  have  nothing  to  reason  upon,  and  nothing 
for  the  conscience  to  work  upon,  until  the  Bible  is  taken 
into  partnership  with  both  the  reason  and  the  conscience. 
It  is,  therefore,  folly  of  the  supremest  kind  to  undertake 

192 


OF   AUTHORITY  193 

to  locate  the  source  of  authority  in  religion  without  reck- 
oning with  the  three  elements  already  indicated.  When 
we  separate  these  we  are  guilty  of  precisely  the  same  mis- 
take which  is  made  when  we  separate  the  different  elements 
in  the  plan  of  salvation.  We  may,  for  the  sake  of  con- 
venience and  clearness  of  definition,  regard  these  elements 
as  units,  but  they  are  units  only  because  they  are  single 
elements  entering  into  the  whole;  and  with  respect  to  the 
matter  of  authority  all  the  single  units  when  placed  to- 
gether in  their  proper  relations  make  a  trinity  of  units, 
and  this  trinity  in  unity  is  really  the  source  of  authority 
in  religious  matters.  The  tendency  of  men  to  analyse,  and 
then  refuse  to  synthecise,  is  the  source  of  untold  evils, 
and  is  generally  the  fountain  out  of  which  flows  the  streams 
of  illicit  conclusions  which  have  done  so  much  to  confuse 
our  theological  science. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  say  that  the  Bible  is  the  final  source 
of  authority  in  religion,  but  it  may  be  well  to  ask  those 
who  make  this  contention  just  what  they  mean  by  the  term 
Bible.  There  are  at  least  three  Bibles  in  every  man's 
house.  There  is,  first  of  all,  what  is  affectionately  called 
"  the  old  family  Bible."  This,  when  it  is  faithfully  trans- 
lated, never  changes.  It  represents  the  will  of  God  to 
man,  and  therefore  contains  God's  infallible  word  speak- 
ing to  man.  But  there  is  a  second  Bible,  which  is  every 
man's  interpretation  of  the  old  family  Bible  with  respect 
to  his  own  special  obligations  and  duties;  and  then  there 
is  a  third  Bible,  which  is  every  man's  interpretation  of  the 
first  and  second  Bibles  with  regard  to  his  neighbour;  and 
this  third  Bible  is  often  essentially  different  from  the  sec- 
ond, while  the  second  is  often  essentially  different  from 
the  first.  When  we  interpret  the  Bible  for  ourselves  we 
often  force  a  meaning  which  is  not  justified  by  any  legiti- 
mate rules  of  henneneutics.    It  is  all  very  well  for  some 


194  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

men  to  say  they  take  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  as  their 
rule  of  faith  and  practice.  That  is  certainly  a  fine  saying, 
and  in  so  far  as  it  is  practically  carried  out,  it  is  worthy 
of  all  commendation.  But  my  own  observation  suggests 
very  strongly  the  fact  that,  when  these  men  say  they  take 
the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  as  their  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  they  are  simply  affirming  that  they  actually  take 
their  interpretations  of  the  Bible  rather  than  the  Bible 
itself;  and,  as  has  already  been  intimated,  these  interpre- 
tations differ  so  as  to  suit  each  man's  own  case  and  the 
case  of  his  neighbour.  Evidently  we  do  not  always  inter- 
pret the  Bible  to  mean  for  ourselves  just  what  we  are  will- 
ing to  contend  for  with  respect  to  our  neighbours. 

But  all  this  shows  that  reason  and  conscience  are  both 
involved  in  the  question  of  a  standard  of  authority;  con- 
sequently it  is  unmistakably  true  that  most  of  us,  if  not 
all  of  us,  follow  our  respective  interpretations  of  the  Bible 
rather  than  the  Bible  itself,  as  the  expressed,  unalterable 
will  of  God. 

It  will  now  be  seen,  I  think,  that  it  is  equally  absurd  to 
assume  that  either  reason  or  conscience  is  our  standard  of 
appeal.  Reason  must  have  something  about  which  to  rea- 
son. The  Bible  furnishes  this.  Conscience  must  have 
something  about  which  it  may  be  exercised.  The  Bible 
furnishes  this.  If  it  should  be  affirmed  that  the  difference 
between  right  and  wrong  is  an  eternal  difference  and  is 
not  dependent  upon  the  Bible,  then  it  still  follows  that  the 
Bible  is  essential  to  emphasise  this  difference  and  to  bring 
it  to  bear  upon  the  conscience.  Paul  tells  us  that  though 
sin  was  in  the  world  before  the  law  he  would  not  have 
known  sin  without  the  law.  Precisely  so  is  it  with  respect 
to  the  matter  under  consideration.  The  difference  between 
right  and  wrong  may  belong  to  the  constitution  of  the 
universe,  and  may  not  therefore  depend  upon  the  Bible 


OF   AUTHORITY  195 

or  any  other  revelation  that  has  been  made;  but  the  Bible 
reveals  this  distinction,  makes  it  emphatic,  urges  its  im- 
portance, and  fixes  it  upon  the  conscience,  so  that  the  Bible 
cooperating  with  reason  and  the  conscience  makes  a  tri- 
bunal for  our  guidance  rather  than  either  one  of  these 
as  separated  from  the  others. 

The  preacher  will  have  great  need  for  this  standard  of 
authority  in  dealing  with  the  questions  which  will  meet 
him  at  nearly  every  step  of  his  ministry;  and  I  am  not 
without  hope  that  the  suggestions  which  I  have  made  will 
help  him  very  much  in  solving  many  perplexing  problems. 
If  he  can  make  his  people  understand  that  reason  and 
conscience  and  the  Bible  are  not  in  conflict  with  one 
another,  but,  on  the  contrary,  are  in  hearty  cooperation, 
then  very  much  of  the  mist  which  usually  obscures  the 
whole  question  of  authority  in  religion  will  be  practically 
cleared  away. 

Evidently  we  have  inherited  a  wrong  view  point  with 
respect  to  this  matter.  Part  of  our  difficulty  will  be  found 
in  the  influence  of  Grecian  philosophy.  Socrates,  Plato, 
Aristotle,  and  others  regarded  reason  as  the  sole  authority 
with  respect  to  moral  conduct.  In  modern  times  the  Car- 
tesians have  emphasised  the  same  source  of  authority. 
But,  perhaps,  no  one  has  given  this  contention  such  a 
prominent  place  as  Immanuel  Kant,  the  great  German 
metaphysician,  whose  writings  have  had  an  almost  unpar- 
alleled influence  upon  educated  men  for  the  last  hundred 
years. 

But  this  isolation  of  reason  is  neither  philosophical  nor 
reasonable.  As  well  might  we  say  that  the  spirit  of  the 
man  is  the  source  of  all  his  activities.  Man  is  composed 
of  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  and  whatever  may  be  affirmed  of 
either  one  of  these,  when  separately  considered,  we  must 
undoubtedly  regard  all  three  of  them  in  any  question  re- 


196  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

lating  to  the  whole  man.  Precisely  so  is  it  as  regards 
the  question  of  authority  in  religion.  We  must  regard 
reason,  conscience,  and  the  Bible  as  cooperating  together 
before  we  can  possibly  reach  such  conclusions  as  will  guide 
us  infallibly  in  the  right  way. 

It  will  help  us  at  this  point  to  remember  that  we  are 
dealing  with  a  subject  which  has  two  sides  to  it,  viz., 
the  divine  side,  and  the  human  side.  God  has  not  made 
an  arbitrary  revelation  in  which  He  has  announced  his 
laws,  which  laws  are  wholly  unreasonable  and  revolting 
to  the  conscience;  but  He  has  given  us  a  revelation  in  har- 
mony with  both  the  reason  and  the  conscience,  and  the 
more  these  are  enlightened  by  the  influence  of  good,  right, 
and  truth,  the  more  strikingly  does  this  harmony  between 
the  divine  and  human  come  clearly  into  view.  Hence  the 
authority  of  the  Scriptures  is  not  imparted  to  them  by  a 
divine  certification,  which  is  supposed  to  reside  in  them 
because  of  the  inspiration  they  have  received,  but  the  au- 
thority of  the  Scriptures  consists  in  the  truth  which  these 
Scriptures  contain,  which  truth  is  perceived  by  the  reason 
and  approved  by  the  conscience.  Hence  it  will  be  seen 
that  real  authority  is  not  external,  but  internal;  not  some 
cabalistic  seal  placed  upon  the  book,  but  some  marvellous 
and  easily  perceived  truth  contained  in  the  book,  which 
makes  it  impossible  for  the  educated  reason  and  conscience 
to  reject  without  stultifying  themselves  and  thereby  plac- 
ing the  whole  man  under  self-condemnation. 

In  this  view  of  the  case,  both  the  divine  and  human 
are  consulted.  God,  in  an  important  sense,  is  the  author 
of  the  Bible,  as  He  is  also  the  creator  of  the  man.  The 
Bible  is  God's  medium  through  which  He  communicates 
with  the  man,  while  the  man,  being  the  workmanship  of 
God,  is  capable  of  responding  to  the  revelation  which  God 
has  made.    In  this  view  of  the  matter  it  is  not  diflScult 


OF   AUTHORITY  197 

to  reconcile  all  the  seeming  points  of  antagonism,  and  to 
finally  reach  a  conclusion  which  is  alike  honourable  to 
both  God  and  man. 

From  this  standpoint  it  is  proper  to  say  that  reason  is  a 
source  of  authority;  that  conscience  is  a  source  of  author- 
ity; that  the  Bible  is  a  source  of  authority;  and  that  all 
three  of  these,  when  taken  together,  constitute  the  source 
of  authority  with  respect  to  the  moral  or  religious  life. 

With  this  simple  but  apparently  satisfactory  point  of 
view,  from  which  to  consider  the  subject  of  authority,  the 
preacher  will  be  able  to  meet  all  the  difficulties,  with  respect 
to  this  question,  of  those  who  are  not  hopelessly  beyond 
the  possibility  of  instruction.  Of  course  it  is  not  intended, 
by  the  suggestions  I  have  made,  to  treat  the  whole  subject 
exhaustively,  but  it  is  believed  that  the  point  of  view 
selected  and  emphasised  is  the  only  one  that  will  bring 
order  out  of  confusion  with  respect  to  a  matter  which  has 
had  much  to  do  with  retarding  the  progress  of  Christianity. 


XIV 

THE    PEOBLEM    OF    LIBEETY 

Tacitus  in  his  Annals  says:  Eara  temporum  felicitate 
ubi  sentire  quae  velis,  et  quae  sentias  dicere  licet,  which 
may  be  translated  as  follows :  "  Such  being  the  happiness 
of  the  times,  that  you  may  think  as  you  wish,  and  speak 
as  you  think." 

This  describes  a  state  of  things  which  most  people  ar- 
dently covet.  Liberty  is  certainly  a  God-given  thing,  and 
religious  liberty  especially,  the  noblest  of  all  gifts  to  any 
people.  But  liberty  has  often  been  greatly  abused.  Madame 
Eowland's  cry  at  the  guillotine  has  been  often  illustrated 
in  human  history :  "  Liberty,  0  liberty !  how  many  crimes 
have  been  committed  in  thy  name ! "  No  one  is  so  free 
as  the  child  of  God,  for  if  the  truth  make  you  free,  then 
are  you  free  indeed.  But  in  what  does  freedom  consist? 
Is  it  not  found  after  all  in  obedience  to  law  ?  The  Apostle 
in  his  letter  to  the  Eomans  says,  "  The  law  of  the  spirit  of 
life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of 
sin  and  death."  Many  other  passages  might  be  quoted, 
aflBrming  practically  the  same  thing,  viz.,  that  law  is  al- 
ways a  condition  precedent  to  liberty,  and  without  law 
man  would  be  a  mere  machine,  which  could  act  only  as 
he  is  acted  upon.  Government  implies  a  rule  of  action, 
and  this  rule  must  have  objectivity  as  well  as  subjectivity. 
As  has  already  been  shown,  the  objective  revelation  of  God 
must  cooperate  with  the  subjective  reason  and  conscience. 
Despotism  is  law  without  conscience ;  anarchy  is  conscience 
without  law.  Liberty  is  the  harmony  of  law  and  con- 
science, and  is,  therefore,  the  normal  condition  of  men, 

198 


OF   LIBERTY  199 

bounded  on  one  side  by  the  revelation  which  God  has  made 
to  us,  and  on  the  other  side  by  the  reason  and  conscience 
which  are  in  us. 

The  preacher,  in  meeting  all  the  conditions  of  his  work, 
will  have  much  need  for  clear  conceptions  with  respect  to 
this  question  of  liberty.  He  will  find  that  men  very  gen- 
erally will  desire  that  state  of  happiness  described  by  Taci- 
tus, where  they  may  think  as  they  wish  and  speak  as  they 
think.  With  certain  limitations  this  is  unquestionably  a 
most  desirable  state  of  things  to  contemplate.  I  have  al- 
ways admired  that  remarkable  poem  entitled  "  Fable  for 
Critics,"  by  James  Eussell  Lowell;  and  perhaps  the  most 
striking  thing  in  that  poem  is  the  following  with  respect  to 
Liberty : 

"  And  I  honour  the  man  who  is  willing  to  sink 
Half  his  present  repute  for  the  freedom  to  think, 
And,  when  he  has  thought,  be  his  cause  strong  or  weak, 
Will  risk  t'other  half  for  the  freedom  to  speak. 
Caring  naught  for  what  vengeance  the  mob  has  in  store. 
Let  that  mob  be  the  upper  ten  thousand  or  lower." 

This  puts  into  verse  practically  what  Tacitus  said  in 
prose.  But  both  of  these  statements  need  to  be  carefully 
guarded ;  for  while  freedom  of  thought,  freedom  of  speech, 
and  the  right  of  individual  interpretation  are  fundamental 
in  both  civil  and  religious  matters  in  all  worthy  govern- 
ments, it  is,  nevertheless,  true  that  freedom  without  law 
may  become  license,  and,  therefore,  disastrous  to  the  best 
interests  of  mankind  instead  of  a  blessing  which  true 
liberty  always  assures. 

After  all,  it  is  not  a  very  easy  thing  to  define  the  limits 
of  either  religious  or  political  liberty.  It  is  not  difficult 
to  formulate  a  statement  which  might  be  generally  ac- 
cepted; but  when  we  come  to  apply  any  conception  of 


200  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

liberty  to  the  practical  affairs  of  life,  we  find  ourselves 
at  once  confronted  with  many  opposing  obstacles.  And 
this  fact  illustrates  the  difference  between  theory  and 
practice;  between  a  statement  of  a  truth  and  the  applica- 
tion of  that  truth  to  the  common  affairs  of  life. 

The  first  difficulty  which  confronts  us  is  the  difference 
between  the  liberty  which  we  claim  for  ourselves  and  what 
we  are  willing  to  grant  to  others.  We  are  all  anxious  to 
have  the  liberty  to  think,  speak,  and  act  for  ourselves  within 
legitimate  bounds,  without  any  obtrusive  interference  from 
any  person  or  persons  whomsoever;  but  are  we  at  the  same 
time  willing  to  grant  the  liberty  which  we  claim  for  our- 
selves to  all  other  persons?  The  first  end  of  this  state- 
ment will  no  doubt  be  heartily  agreed  to  by  all  classes,  but 
we  seriously  doubt  whether  the  last  part  of  it  will  be  prac- 
tically accepted  by  very  many.  It  is  so  easy  to  believe  that 
our  own  way  of  thinking  is  best,  that  even  from  a  benevo- 
lent point  of  view  we  are  sometimes  anxious  to  have  others 
accept  our  notions  of  truth,  nolens  volens.  Indeed,  our 
anxiety  to  press  our  own  conclusions  upon  others  is  so 
intense  that  it  not  infrequently  happens  that  persecutions 
fall  upon  those  who  are  not  willing  to  think,  speak,  and 
act  as  we  do ;  and  when  these  persecutions  take  the  form  of 
the  faggot  or  sword,  we  cry  out  against  them  as  unworthy 
of  an  enlightened  civilisation,  to  say  nothing  of  a  Chris- 
tian civilisation.  But  the  principle  is  precisely  the  same, 
whatever  may  be  the  form  of  the  persecution.  There  are 
many  petty  persecutions  which  are  just  as  wrong  in  prin- 
ciple as  those  which  characterised  the  period  of  the  Dark 
Ages.  Even  at  this  time  the  principle  of  religious  liberty 
is  perhaps  violated  just  as  often — and  that  too  by  Protes- 
tants themselves — as  was  done  in  the  thirteenth  century  by 
Eoman  Catholics.  The  form  of  the  violation  is  different, 
and  that  is  all. 


OF  LIBERTY  20i 

What  then  do  we  mean  by  religious  liberty,  or  our  Chris- 
tian liberty?  If  this  is  fundamental  in  any  worthy  reli- 
gious movement,  it  is  surely  most  important  that  we  should 
have  clear  conceptions  of  what  is  meant  by  it.  It  is  not 
possible,  perhaps,  in  a  brief  lecture  like  the  present  one, 
to  examine  this  subject  exhaustively,  but  it  is  possible  to 
make  some  suggestions  that  vrill  help  to  throw  light  upon 
this  vital  question. 

First  of  all,  let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  all  lib- 
erty necessarily  has  its  limitations.  Liberty  without  lim- 
itation becomes  license,  and  license  may  soon  become 
destructive  of  all  liberty.  For  general  purposes  liberty 
may  be  defined  as  the  privilege  to  do  right.  But  even  this 
contains  at  least  two  somewhat  ambiguous  terms.  What  is 
privilege?  and,  again,  what  is  right?  There  are  no  ques- 
tions more  difficult  to  determine  than  those  of  casuistry. 
What  is  right?  is  no  more  easily  answered  than  Pilate's 
question,  "  What  is  truth  ?  "  The  reason  of  this  is  not 
far  to  seek.  Eight  and  wrong  must  always  be  determined 
by  certain  conditions  of  environment  and  perspective,  and 
consequently  what  may  be  right  in  a  given  case  may  be 
wrong  in  another,  and  what  may  be  wrong  in  one  set  of 
circumstances  may  be  right  in  another.  The  determining 
factor  is  nearly  always  a  variable  quantity,  and  this  is 
precisely  why  we  cannot  formulate  a  definite  rule  to  meet 
all  cases.  However,  the  rule  we  have  given  is  sufficient  for 
practical  purposes;  hence  we  shall  assume  that  liberty  is 
the  privilege  to  do  right,  and  what  privilege  and  right 
are  must  be  left  for  determination  in  each  case  as  it 
arises. 

We  are  all  familiar  with  the  Apostle  Paul's  illustrations 
with  regard  to  individual  liberty.  He  claims  for  himself 
the  privilege  to  do  right,  and  yet  he  would  not  even  exercise 
that  privilege  where  he  finds  it  would  cause  his  brother  to 


202  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

stumble  or  grow  weak.  It  would  appear  irom  this  fact 
that  the  Apostle  was  quite  willing  to  limit  even  the  liberty 
which  he  possessed  and  which  it  was  his  right  to  exercise, 
when  it  became  an  offence  or  a  hindrance  to  others.  This 
is  evidently  a  very  important  point  of  view  from  which 
to  look  at  the  question  under  consideration.  Liberty  not 
only  necessarily  has  its  limitations,  but  it  may  and  ought 
to  have  voluntary  limitations.  While  we  may  have  the 
privilege  to  do  right,  it  may  not  always  be  wise  to  exercise 
that  privilege.  It  often  happens  that  by  voluntarily  refus- 
ing to  exercise  a  privilege,  which  we  possess,  we  show  the 
highest  wisdom.  No  doubt  we  shall  be  told  at  this  point 
that  we  must  have  honest  convictions  and  also  the  courage 
of  them.  Undoubtedly  we  ought  to  have  the  courage  of 
our  convictions.  But  true  courage  does  not  consist  in 
rashly  using  even  a  privilege.  We  have  known  members  of 
churches  to  divide  their  church  into  factions  simply  because 
these  members  were  determined  to  show  that  they  had  the 
courage  of  their  convictions,  while  a  little  more  wisdom 
and  a  decent  suppression  of  a  temper,  which  they  were 
pleased  to  call  courage,  would  have  avoided  the  whole  difiQ- 
culty.  What  we  call  courage  is  often  little  better  than 
folly  or  madness,  while  what  is  called  conscientiousness 
is  very  frequently  nothing  better  than  stubbornness,  or 
"  cussedness." 

Let  us  look  at  some  practical  examples  in  the  use  of 
liberty.  Suppose  a  preacher  is  called  to  serve  a  church 
as  its  pastor.  Such  a  call  implies  that  there  is  a  mutual 
confidence  between  the  person  called  and  the  church.  Now 
how  may  this  confidence  be  maintained?  If  the  preacher 
wishes  to  preach  what  is  contrary  to  the  views  of  the 
church,  there  is  always  a  danger  of  conflict.  How  can  such 
a  conflict  be  avoided  and  at  the  same  time  the  liberty  of 
all  parties  concerned  be  maintained?    If  the  difference  is 


OF   LIBERTY  203 

about  matters  wherein  the  preacher  is  right  and  the  church 
wrong,  and  he  can  convince  the  church  that  such  is  the 
case,  the  probability  is  that  no  serious  conflict  will  ensue 
at  all.  But  in  case  the  difference  is  regarded  as  vital,  and 
the  church  cannot  be  be  convinced,  then  one  of  two  things 
must  follow,  namely:  the  preacher  must  either  cease  to 
preach  what  is  offensive  to  the  church  or  else  he  should 
resign  at  once  and  seek  some  other  position.  Surely  the 
church  cannot  ask  him  to  preach  contrary  to  his  convic- 
tions, consequently  if  he  preaches  at  all  for  that  church, 
and  preaches  with  respect  to  the  matters  in  dispute,  he 
ought  to  speak  just  as  he  feels;  but  he  cannot  do  this,  in 
the  case  we  have  suggested,  without  giving  offence,  and 
this  being  true,  the  only  course  left  open  for  him  is 
to  resign  his  position,  and  this  every  honourable  man 
will  do  when  he  understands  his  true  relation  to  the 
church. 

Nor  must  the  church  be  regarded  as  seeking  to  abridge 
his  liberty.  The  church  has  its  rights  as  well  as  the 
preacher,  and  it  cannot  therefore  tamely  submit  to  teach- 
ing which  it  regards  as  essentially  wrong.  Surely  it  can- 
not be  expected  to  pay  for  such  teaching.  The  church 
may,  and  probably  will,  regard  the  preacher  as  perfectly 
conscientious,  and  it  will  no  doubt  allow  that  he  ought 
not  to  preach  contrary  to  the  views  he  entertains ;  but  at  the 
same  time,  the  church  has  a  perfect  right  to  insist  that 
such  preaching  shall  be  done  elsewhere,  if  done  at  all.  The 
church  may  surely  refuse  to  pay  for  a  kind  of  preaching 
of  which  it  does  not  approve,  and  do  so  without  the  slight- 
est infringement  upon  the  liberty  of  the  preacher  who  has 
been  employed  by  it.  If  the  preacher  wishes  to  ventilate 
his  views,  he  may  hire  a  hall  and  do  so,  or  secure  a  call 
to  a  church  that  will  hear  him  with  patience;  but  he  cer- 
tainly has  no  right  to  regard  himself  as  persecuted,  or  to 


204  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

imagine  that  his  liberty  is  in  any  way  abridged  by  the 
refusal  of  the  church  in  question  to  pay  him  for  preaching 
a  kind  of  doctrine  not  acceptable. 

The  same  is  true  of  college  professors.  If  a  college  has 
been  endowed  and  is  sustained  by  a  particular  religious  body, 
the  professors  in  that  institution  ought  to  teach  what  the  re- 
ligious body  they  represent  holds  as  truth,  so  far  as  this 
can  be  ascertained.  Doubtless  there  must  be  mutual  for- 
bearance where  there  are  slight  differences  with  regard  to 
matters  which  are  not  vital,  and  generally  forbearance  is 
a  much  better  remedy  for  even  what  is  a  crying  evil  than 
an  opposition  which  has  the  slightest  appearance  of  perse- 
cution. Indeed,  the  very  best  way  to  give  an  error  public 
notoriety  and  influence  is  to  advertise  it  by  bitterly  op- 
posing it  in  an  unseemly  way.  Hence,  often  the  best  way 
to  kill  error  is  to  let  it  alone.  It  will  usually  die  from 
its  own  poison  if  it  is  left  to  take  care  of  itself.  But  if 
too  much  attention  is  given  to  it,  the  men  who  propagate 
it  are  likely  to  become  martyrs  in  the  public  estimation, 
and  they  thus  gain  position  and  influence  quite  unequal 
to  their  abilities.  Nevertheless  if  a  serious  conflict  arises 
there  are  only  three  ways  out  of  the  difficulty.  First,  the 
professor  may  convince  the  religious  people  whom  he 
serves  that  he  is  in  the  right,  and  they  may  adopt  his 
views.  This,  however,  is  not  usually  the  case.  The  very 
fact  that  the  conflict  has  arisen  precludes  the  possibility  of 
calmly  considering  the  matters  in  dispute,  and  even  though 
the  professor  may  be  in  the  right,  he  will  probably  find 
it  impossible  to  convince  his  brethren  that  such  is  the 
case.  What  then  must  he  do?  There  are  only  two  other 
courses  open.  He  may  cease  to  teach  the  matters  in  dis- 
pute. This  he  may  often  do  without  any  interference  with 
his  honest  convictions.  He  may  always  do  so  where  the 
matters  in  dispute  are  of  no  particular  importance.     If, 


OF   LIBERTY  205 

however,  he  regards  his  contention  as  vital,  he  cannot  cease 
teaching  what  he  believes  simply  because  brethren  who  sus- 
tain the  college  demand  that  he  shall  cease  to  propagate 
his  views.  An  honest  man  cannot  be  silent  when  he  feels 
that  he  has  an  imperative  call  to  speak,  nor  can  any  body 
of  men  who  are  properly  instructed  demand  silence  from 
him.  If  he  teaches  at  all  he  must  teach  what  he  honestly 
believes. 

The  brethren  whom  he  serves  may  rightfully,  in  the  full 
recognition  of  his  personal  liberty,  demand  of  him  that  he 
shall  teach  his  views  somewhere  else,  and  not  where  he  is 
employed  by  them.  The  only  other  alternative  then  open 
to  him  is  to  resign,  and  this  he  ought  to  do  speedily,  unless 
some  satisfactory  basis  of  cooperation  can  be  agreed  upon. 

In  such  a  case  as  I  have  presented  there  need  be  no 
ground  whatever  for  infringement  of  individual  liberty, 
and  there  ought  to  be  no  complaint  on  the  part  of  the 
professor  if  he  is  required  to  give  up  his  position.  He 
can  exercise  all  the  liberty  he  wishes  if  he  will  provide  for 
it  himself;  but  he  has  no  right  to  use  a  position  which  is 
provided  for  him  by  others  to  antagonise  those  who  pay 
him  for  his  services. 

It  seems  to  me  that  just  here  is  the  solution  of  the  whole 
question.  It  is  really  a  practical  question  and  must  be 
dealt  with  in  a  practical  manner.  It  is  no  use  for  any 
one  to  say  that  the  professor  in  question  is  contending  for 
a  principle.  There  is  no  principle  involved;  certainly  no 
principle  of  religious  liberty.  He  has  all  the  liberty  he 
can  desire  as  long  as  he  does  not  infringe  upon  the  liberty 
of  others;  but  when  he  begins  to  use  his  liberty  as  an 
offence,  and  those  who  sustain  him  cry  out  against  his 
course,  if  he  wishes  to  exercise  his  liberty  he  must  seek 
some  other  place  for  it,  and  consequently  the  only  honour- 
able course  left  to  him  is  to  resign.     Any  failure  to  do 


2o6  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

this  would  be  an  abuse  of  liberty  as  well  as  of  the  confidence 
which  his  brethren  have  reposed  in  him. 

In  such  a  case  as  I  have  instanced  it  will  serve  no  good 
purpose  to  protract  the  controversy  or  persist  in  main- 
taining a  position  which  is  no  longer  tenable.  It  will  not 
do  to  say  that  the  professor  must  hold  his  place  and  fight 
for  the  right  to  teach  what  he  honestly  believes.  No  one 
questions  his  right  to  teach  what  he  believes.  His  brethren 
would  find  no  fault  in  his  doing  it  on  his  own  responsi- 
bility, but  they  decline  to  be  responsible  for  him  or  to 
provide  him  with  a  platform  where  he  can  teach  what  they 
believe  to  be  error.  What  he  contends  for  is  perfectly 
right  so  long  as  his  own  liberty  is  all  that  is  involved ;  but 
the  moment  he  wishes  to  use  his  liberty  in  an  offensive 
way,  with  respect  to  those  who  sustain  him,  he  at  once 
transcends  the  bounds  of  honourable  privilege,  and  he 
cannot  claim  justification  by  persisting  in  a  course  which 
can  now  be  regarded  only  as  a  menace  to  those  who  secured 
for  him  the  position  he  holds.  To  use  a  very  simple  illus- 
tration, the  meal  which  he  puts  into  the  cake  is  good  enough, 
but  the  manner  of  baking  it  spoils  the  cake.  The  principle 
of  religious  liberty  must  be  maintained  at  all  hazards,  but 
by  a  wrong  application  this  principle  may  be  self-de- 
structive. 

Kor  will  it  suffice  to  bring  forward  examples  where  others 
have  maintained  their  positions  notwithstanding  they  have 
taught  what  was  contrary  to  the  general  practice  of  the 
churches  with  whom  they  were  associated.  This  is  no  ar- 
gument at  all.  Some  professors  have  taught  that  the  organ 
is  vicious  in  religious  service,  and  occasionally  a  few  of 
their  students  have  produced  trouble  in  congregations 
where  these  views  have  found  place.  Because  the  profes- 
sors have  not  been  disturbed  is  no  reason  for  regarding 
others  who  teach  what  is  contrary  to  the  general  practice 


OF   LIBERTY  207 

of  the  churches  as  justifiable  in  what  they  are  doing. 
Much  depends  upon  the  nature  of  what  is  taught,  as  to 
whether  any  protest  should  be  made  or  not.  There  was, 
and  is  still,  some  excuse  for  those  who  oppose  organs.  The 
general  practice  of  the  churches  was,  for  many  years,  to 
do  without  an  organ,  and  consequently  those  who  advocated 
organs  were  bound  to  show  a  reason  for  their  introduction. 
The  onus  prohandi  was  on  their  side,  and  the  case  can  only 
be  regarded  as  parallel  when  we  suppose  that  those  who 
advocated  organs,  whether  in  colleges  or  churches,  per- 
sisted in  doing  so  notwithstanding  the  protest  of  a  large 
majority  of  the  churches.  Even  in  such  a  case,  any  one 
would  have  the  right  to  advocate  his  own  honest  convic- 
tions, though  he  stood  absolutely  alone  in  doing  so,  but  he 
certainly  would  not  have  the  right  to  advocate  these  con- 
victions in  opposition  to  those  who  supported  him.  If 
any  one  wishes  to  maintain  what  he  thinks  is  right,  and 
yet  finds  himself  in  a  feeble  minority,  the  only  course  left 
open  to  him  is  to  find  a  support  or  a  platform  at  some 
place  where  his  liberty  to  speak  what  he  thinks  will  not 
be  questioned.  But  we  feel  perfectly  sure  that  no  man 
has  a  right  to  receive  money  from  any  church,  college,  or 
association  and  at  the  same  time  place  himself  directly  in 
antagonism  to  the  parties  who  sustain  him.  This  is 
the  real  question,  and  it  must  not  be  obscured  by  ex- 
traneous matters. 

The  same  is  true  as  regards  writing  for  our  religious 
papers.  There  are  many  persons  who  imagiQe  that  an 
editor  is  despotic,  overbearing,  and  often  very  unfair  be- 
cause he  will  not  allow  certain  scribes  to  write  in  the 
columns  of  his  paper.  These  writers  do  not  take  into  con- 
sideration the  fact  that  the  editor  has  a  right  to  control 
his  paper  in  what  he  believes  to  be  for  the  interest  of  his 
readers  and  himself,  as  well  as  the  cause  his  paper  repre- 


2o8  preacKer  problems 

sents.  If  such  writers  feel  that  they  are  aggrieved  they 
may  start  a  paper  on  their  own  account,  or  seek  some  other 
existing  paper  as  a  medium  through  which  they  may  make 
known  the  views  which  they  wish  to  present  to  the  brethren. 
But  they  certainly  cannot  justly  complain  because  the 
editor  refuses  to  have  them  state  their  case  in  his  columns, 
if  he  conscientiously  believes  their  articles  would  not  be 
useful  to  his  readers.  Some  one  must  take  the  responsi- 
bility in  all  such  cases,  and  surely  no  one  can  do  this  but 
the  editor  himself. 

I  say  this  much  because  many  persons  are  quite  unrea- 
sonable with  respect  to  what  they  call  the  liberty  of  the 
press.  The  liberty  of  the  press  has  its  limitations  as  well 
as  everything  else,  and  if  there  were  even  more  restrictions 
placed  upon  the  correspondence  than  is  now  done,  it  would 
perhaps  be  better  for  all  concerned.  At  any  rate  it  is 
certain  that  editors  are  among  the  most  tolerant  of  all 
persons  who  deal  with  the  public. 

No  one  ought  to  suppose  an  editor  is  infallible.  He  may 
make  mistakes,  and  often  does  make  mistakes.  He  may 
be  tolerant  where  there  is  no  reason  for  it,  and  may  be  in- 
tolerant where  there  is  even  less  reason  for  it.  But  there 
is  one  thing  which  must  be  admitted,  whatever  his  course 
may  be,  namely,  he  alone  can  be  responsible  for  the  conduct 
of  his  paper. 

We  come  now  to  a  most  important  fact  connected  with 
the  whole  question  of  Christian  liberty.  If  there  was  only 
one  party  to  the  question,  then  there  would  be  little  diffi- 
culty in  managing  all  matters  in  which  liberty  is  involved ; 
but  there  are  always  more  parties  than  one  involved,  and 
this  at  once  makes  the  problem  complex  where  it  would 
otherwise  be  simple.  As  regards  the  case  of  the  college 
and  the  professor  which  has  been  referred  to,  it  may  be 
that  the  churches  should  be  regarded  as  all  wrong  and  the 


OF   LIBERTY  209 

professor  right.  But  that  is  not  the  real  matter  at  issue. 
The  churches  believe  that  they  are  right  and  that  the 
professor  is  wrong,  and  while  they  believe  so  the  professor 
must  yield  to  their  wishes  or  else  he  becomes  a  factionist 
and  not  a  liberty-loving  Christian.  If  he  was  the  latter, 
and  at  the  same  time  understood  the  true  meaning  of 
liberty,  he  would  not  contend  that  he  has  a  right  to  main- 
tain his  religious  views  from  a  public  platform  which  is 
maintained  by  the  contributions  of  the  churches  which 
he  is  antagonising.  It  will  not  do  for  him  to  say  that 
his  views  are  Scriptural,  and  therefore  he  must  maintain 
them.  The  Scriptural  character  of  his  views  is  not  involved 
in  the  point  under  consideration.  If  they  are  Scriptural, 
the  churches  would  no  doubt  do  well  to  give  heed  to  what 
he  says,  but  while  they  do  not  believe  his  views  are  Scrip- 
tural, he  has  no  right  to  use  their  platform  to  lecture  them 
into  obedience  to  his  wishes. 

Of  course  this  view  of  the  matter  at  once  raises  the  right 
of  majorities  to  rule,  and  at  the  same  time  clearly  inti- 
mates that  minorities  must  retire  from  every  place  where 
they  are  outvoted,  unless  they  are  willing  to  submit  to 
the  will  of  the  majority.  However,  this  view  does  not 
imply  that  majorities  are  always  right.  Indeed,  it  often 
happens  that  the  minority  is  right  and  the  majority  wrong; 
but  no  matter  how  this  may  be,  the  best  we  can  do  in  our 
present  environment  is  to  settle  things  that  ought  to  be 
settled  by  a  vote  which  recognises  the  right  of  the  majority 
to  rule.  If  the  minority  cannot  afford  to  suppress  honest 
convictions,  then  the  best  that  can  be  done  is  to  seek 
another  place  where  these  convictions  can  be  fully  main- 
tained. 

Let  us  suppose  a  case.  A  church  might  be  divided  on 
a  point  of  doctrine.  Now  if  the  question  involved  is  vital 
to  either  side,  it  cannot  be  allowed  to  rest.    In  such  a  case 


210  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

some  one  must  yield,  and  the  law  of  love  requires  that  those 
in  the  minority  must  yield,  whether  right  or  wrong.  If 
wrong  they  ought  to  yield,  and  if  possible  work  on  the 
side  of  right.  But  if  the  minority  is  right  or  continues  to 
think  itself  right,  the  only  thing  it  can  do  is  to  accept 
the  decision  of  the  church  and  then  seek  some  other  place 
where  freedom  to  maintain  the  particular  point  in  ques- 
tion can  be  allowed.  It  does  not  follow  that  the  majority 
is  tyrannical  because  it  will  not  allow  further  discussion 
on  the  question  after  it  has  once  been  decided.  It  is  no 
use  to  try  to  settle  anything,  if,  when  a  vote  is  once  taken, 
the  question  may  be  still  open  for  discussion. 

No  doubt  we  will  be  told  that  questions  of  doctrine  can- 
not be  settled  by  majorities.  That  is  perhaps  the  case,  so 
far  as  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  is  concerned.  But  we  are 
not  now  discussing  whether  a  doctrine  is  true  or  false.  We 
are  simply  seeking  a  solution  of  a  difficulty  which  has  been 
precipitated  by  a  difference  of  opinion  with  respect  to 
doctrine.  If  it  is  the  rule  of  the  church  to  decide  such 
a  question  by  a  majority,  then  the  minority  must  submit, 
or  else  seek  another  place  for  work.  If,  however,  such  a 
rule  has  not  been  adopted  by  the  church,  it  surely  may 
be  adopted  at  any  time  a  majority  votes  in  favour  of  it.  I 
do  not  say  that  such  a  vote  will  make  either  the  rule  or 
the  doctrine  right,  but  I  do  say  that  where  the  rule  is 
once  accepted  by  the  church  the  only  thing  any  one  can 
do  is  to  abide  by  it  or  else  leave  the  church.  And  if  this 
view  of  the  matter  could  be  generally  accepted,  all  the 
ugly  quarrels  and  bitter  feelings  which  have  frequently 
characterised  church  differences  might  be  effectually 
avoided.  Every  man's  liberty  could  be  maintained,  though 
by  doing  so  some  might  have  to  suffer.  Liberty  has  often 
been  purchased  at  very  heavy  cost,  and  when  it  costs  a 
great  deal  it  may  be  correspondingly  appreciated.   Surely 


OF   LIBERTY  2H 

it  is  not  liberty  nor  anything  like  it  to  perpetuate  a  quarrel 
after  all  differences  have  been  subjected  to  a  fair  arbitral 
ment. 

I  have  so  far  not  said  much  about  individual  liberty.  I 
have  been  considering  the  question  mainly  as  it  relates  to 
assemblies  or  corporations,  though  I  have  discussed  briefly 
the  relation  of  the  individual  to  such  bodies.  However, 
the  same  principle  which  should  govern  in  the  cases  which 
I  have  enumerated  should  govern  also  in  the  relation  of 
man  to  man,  except  that  in  the  latter  case  there  can  be  no 
deciding  on  questions  by  majorities.  There  is,  however, 
a  law  of  love,  which  is  only  another  name  for  the  law  of 
liberty,  to  which  each  person  may  appeal.  Sometimes  it 
is  more  difficult  to  settle  the  difference  between  two  indi- 
viduals than  between  an  individual  and  some  body,  or 
between  different  bodies;  and  this  is  why  it  is  often  neces- 
sary to  refer  individual  cases  of  difference  to  an  impartial 
tribunal  for  adjudication.  This  is  precisely  the  ground 
for  trial  by  jury,  and  such  a  trial  is  fundamental  in  all 
free  countries.  Arbitration  should  also  be  the  means  of 
settling  difficulties  between  brethren,  and  in  most  cases  we 
are  persuaded  this  method  will  be  a  success,  if  the  arbi- 
trators are  wisely  selected  and  the  parties  concerned  are 
animated  by  a  right  spirit. 

Even  as  regards  the  difficulties  of  corporations,  or  indi- 
viduals and  corporations,  arbitration  should  occupy  a 
prominent  place.  Surely  it  ought  always  to  be  resorted  to 
before  extreme  measures  should  be  allowed.  In  the  case 
of  the  college  and  the  professor,  to  which  reference  has 
been  made,  there  might  be  much  gained  by  a  conference  of 
wise  men,  and  we  think  it  quite  possible  that  all  difficulties 
could  be  settled  by  a  judicious  arbitration.  Often  the 
most  disturbing  influences  arise  from  misrepresentation. 
We  believe  that  it  is  possible  for  brethren  in  Christ  to 


212  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

understand  one  another,  and  we  believe  furthermore  that 
when  they  do  understand  one  another  there  is  generally  a 
way  to  settle  all  differences  of  judgment  without  resorting 
to  extreme  measures.  Anyhow,  arbitration  should  be 
thoroughly  tested  before  separation  can  be  made  possible. 

There  are,  however,  evils  greater  than  the  evil  of  separa- 
tion. Almost  any  evil  is  less  than  the  loss  of  liberty. 
Hence  liberty  must  be  protected  at  whatever  cost;  and 
consequently  when  all  other  means  fail  even  separation  is 
better  than  prostitution  of  either  conscience  or  the  right 
of  the  majority  to  rule. 

The  consideration  of  this  subject  cannot  be  complete 
without  something  is  said  with  respect  to  the  trivial  mat- 
ters which  often  severely  test  the  conditions  of  association 
in  work.  Molehills  are  magnified  into  mountains;  mat- 
ters of  opinion  are  transferred  to  matters  of  faith ;  dogma- 
tism is  substituted  for  reason;  things  that  are  wholly 
indifferent  are  made  to  occupy  the  most  prominent  place, 
while  the  spirit  of  domination  drives  out  the  spirit  of 
humility  and  love.  Division  comes,  but  there  was  no  need 
of  it,  and  there  was  certainly  no  good  reason  for  it. 

The  law  of  liberty  is  a  much  higher  law  than  that  ex- 
pressed in  what  is  called  "  The  Golden  Rule.''  The  latter 
makes  self  the  standard  and  requires  no  higher  conduct 
towards  others  than  we  would  have  them  exercise  towards 
us,  if  our  relations  were  reversed.  That  is,  we  must  do 
unto  others  as  we  would  have  them  do  unto  us,  if  we 
were  placed  where  they  are,  and  they  where  we  are.  This 
is  unquestionably  a  selfish  rule,  but  it  is  a  good  rule  for 
what  is  called  civil  relations.  As  citizens  of  the  state  we 
do  well  if  we  observe  it,  but  as  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  it  does  not  meet  our  whole  case.  We  need  to  bring 
in  the  law  of  love,  which  is  the  law  of  Christ ;  this  compels 
us  to  deal  with  one  another  as  Christ  has  dealt  with  us. 


OF  LIBERTY  i2i3 

This  law  clearly  implies  that  every  possible  means  shall  be 
used  to  conciliate  rather  than  alienate,  in  all  differences  of 
judgment.  In  other  words,  selfishness  must  give  place 
to  love,  and  when  love  reigns  there  will  generally  not  be 
much  difficulty  in  settling  all  questions  between  brethren. 
I  cannot  refrain  from  protesting  against  the  magnify- 
ing of  small  things  which  I  fear  has  become  a  habit  with 
some  people.  There  are  not  a  few  who  imagine  that  they 
are  martyrs  to  a  great  cause  when  they  have  practically 
destroyed  their  usefulness  by  fighting  a  stone  wall  with 
what  they  call  their  honest  convictions.  Theirs  is  the 
courage  of  the  bull  on  the  railway  track.  He  may  injure 
the  locomotive  and  throw  the  cars  off  the  line,  but  at  the 
same  time  he  is  likely  to  get  pretty  severely  hurt  himself. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  useless  talk  about  the  courage  of 
convictions.  True  courage  is  cautious,  sensible,  kind,  and 
even,  in  the  right  place,  gentle.  It  is  never  obtrusive,  loud, 
demonstrative,  or  officious.  It  certainly  does  not  show 
itself  in  the  Sancho  Panza  style  of  fighting  windmills. 
And  yet  it  may  be  safely  affirmed  that  most  of  our  con- 
troversies are  about  questions  which  have  no  great  practical 
importance  in  their  relation  to  human  life.  The  New 
Testament  does  not  abound  in  discussions  about  trivial 
distinctions.  Sometimes  faith  is  put  before  repentance, 
and  sometimes  repentance  is  put  before  faith.  Sometimes 
one  is  used  alone,  and  sometimes  the  other  is  used  alone, 
but  in  all  cases  both  are  clearly  implied  in  the  return  of 
the  sinner  to  God.  No  such  nice  distinctions  are  made 
with  respect  to  the  baptism  in  Spirit,  the  gift  of  the  Spirit, 
and  the  indwelling  of  Spirit,  as  some  are  accustomed  to 
make.  All  these  are  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures,  and  each 
one  has  its  proper  significance,  but  the  Apostles  were  quite 
too  much  in  earnest  about  saving  souls  to  stop  by  the  way 
to  occupy  theological  platforms  where  the  nice  distinc- 


214  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

tions  of  modern  theologians  are  supposed  to  be  dis- 
cussed. 

There  is  really  no  definite  name  given  to  the  followers 
of  Christ.  They  are  called  "Saints,"  "Christians," 
"Disciples  of  Christ,"  "Brethren,"  "Children  of  God," 
etc.,  etc.  All  these  names  are  necessary  in  order  to  express 
all  the  relations  which  believers  sustain  to  one  another,  to 
Christ,  and  to  God.  Paul  came  nearer  being  a  theologian 
than  any  of  the  Apostles,  but  he  never  began  a  theological 
argument  without  running  over  himself  before  he  went  very 
far.  The  love  of  souls  in  him  was  so  great  that  he  could 
not  tarry  in  a  theological  discussion.  He  immediately 
pressed  to  the  practical  conclusion;  so  that  all  of  his  dis- 
cussions end  like  his  theological  discussion  in  his  great 
letter  to  the  Romans.  After  demonstrating  the  superiority 
of  Christianity  over  other  religions  and  after  telling  us 
something  of  the  nature  of  the  government  of  God,  he 
rushes  on  to  the  practical  and  begins  the  twelfth  chapter 
with  this  remarkable  passage:  "I  beseech  you  therefore, 
brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  to  present  your  bodies  a 
living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  to  God,  which  is  your 
reasonable  service." 

I  am  stating  now  no  new  doctrine  in  urging  this  view 
of  the  matter.  If  I  understand  the  religious  position  of 
Protestants  they  have  always  antagonised  the  notion  that 
theories,  speculations,  philosophies,  or  anything  depending 
upon  mere  logical  deductions  should  be  allowed  to  take 
the  place  of  divine  living.  Life  with  them  has  been  the 
great  thing  aimed  at.  Principles  are  no  doubt  right 
enough  in  their  place;  but  after  all,  even  these  are  worth 
nothing  unless  they  are  incarnated.  Right  living  is  the 
only  thing  that  is  worth  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  present 
little  while.  If,  however,  true  character  can  come  out 
of  our  sacrifices,  toils,  troubles,  and  even  tears,  then  life 


OF   LIBERTY  215 

is  not  only  worth  living  but  is  worth  everything  else  in  the 
universe. 

This  brings  me  to  say  a  few  things  that  may  be  regarded 
as  a  fitting  close  to  this  subject.  Let  no  one  imagine  that 
in  our  present  environment  a  true  life  can  be  evolved 
without  some  conflict.  I  am  never  troubled  by  antagon- 
isms, provided  I  understand  what  they  are  and  at  the  same 
time  have  grace  to  deal  with  them.  Paul  prayed  for  the 
thorn  in  his  flesh  to  be  removed,  but  this  was  not  granted 
him.  The  thorn  was  no  doubt  necessary  in  order  to  his 
highest  development,  but  he  had  given  him  the  grace 
needful  to  bear  it,  and  this  was  far  better  than  to  remove 
the  thorn.  We  cannot  hope  to  take  part  in  the  mighty 
achievements  all  about  us  without  occasionally  coming  in 
contact  with  something  that  is  unpleasant.  But  there  is 
nothing  strange  in  all  this.  There  are  analogies  all  around 
us  which  suggest  even  more  than  we  usually  see  of  what 
is  unpleasant.  The  noblest  manhood  and  womanhood 
reach  their  highest  development  in  conflict,  just  as  the 
noblest  men  and  women  physically  are  developed  in  that 
belt  of  earth  where  the  seasons  are  continually  at  war 
with  one  another.  In  a  world  of  ease  there  can  be  no 
growth.  The  storm  is  as  necessary  as  the  calm,  and  clouds 
are  equally  important  with  the  sunshine.  Darkness  has 
its  place  as  well  as  light,  and  death  is  a  part  of  the  process 
of  life's  development.  A  grain  of  wheat  is  not  quickened 
except  it  die.  Hence,  while  eternal  vigilance  is  said  to  be 
the  price  of  liberty,  no  liberty  is  worth  much  which  is  pro- 
duced where  eternal  vigilance  is  not  required.  Hence  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  occasional  conflicts  which  are  pre- 
cipitated by  contrary  currents  of  thought  and  action  may 
result  in  good  instead  of  evil,  if  only  we  are  properly  ex- 
ercised by  them.  In  any  case  I  have  no  faith  in  the  doc- 
trine of  suppression.    Let  every  truth  be  fairly  considered. 


2i6  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

and  though  antagonising  some  other  cherished  truth  I 
have  held,  I  am  willing  to  give  both  a  fair  chance  for 
supremacy,  and  finally  make  my  choice  between  them.  If 
I  must  surrender,  I  will.  This  I  believe  to  be  the  only 
safe  course  for  the  conservation  of  liberty  or  even  self- 
respect. 

There  is  still  another  matter  which  needs  to  be  guarded 
against.  In  our  limitations  of  liberty  we  must  be  careful 
not  to  stifle  it  to  death.  Law  should  not  be  used  to  destroy 
progress,  but  to  encourage  it.  Legitimate  limitations  are 
always  helpful  to  normal  development,  while  unbridled 
license  is  sure  to  react  in  the  interests  of  despotism.  Con- 
sequently it  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  attempt  to  block 
the  pathway  cff  progress,  and  any  unreasonable  limitations 
of  liberty  of  thought,  speech,  or  conduct  must  necessarily, 
in  the  end,  be  disastrous  to  Christian  development.  It  is, 
therefore,  most  desirable  to  maintain  the  fullest  liberty 
to  investigate  every  important  question,  even  though  the 
investigation  should  overthrow  some  of  our  most  cherished 
convictions.  No  lover  of  freedom  can  be  satisfied  with 
anything  else,  and  no  Christian  ought  to  fear  the  results 
of  any  honest  search  after  truth.  An  open  mind  is  just 
as  necessary  as  an  open  Bible.  We  must  have  both  of 
these,  and  even  more  than  both,  for  we  must  have  the 
earnest  thirst  after  truth  which  will  compel  an  open  mind 
to  keep  constantly  in  contact  with  the  open  Bible.  Uni- 
formity that  is  bought  at  a  price,  involving  the  suppression 
of  free  discussion,  may  have  a  name  to  live  by,  but  it  is 
certainly  dead,  and  is,  therefore,  worse  than  worthless. 
Hence,  we  conclude  that,  while  true  liberty  is  always 
bounded  by  legitimate  limitations,  some  of  which  have 
already  been  mentioned,  it  is  also  true  that  nothing  is 
more  fatal  to  liberty  than  limitations  which  are  neither 
just  nor  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of  mankind. 


OF   LIBERTY  217 

In  every  case  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  Christians 
differ  widely  in  temperament,  environment,  development, 
etc.  This  fact  makes  it  impossible  to  suppose  that  any 
hard  and  fast  rule  of  thought  or  action  can  be  formulated 
that  will  suit  every  one.  Different  temperaments  must  be 
treated  in  a  different  manner,  and  it  is  just  as  rational 
to  prescribe  the  same  remedy  in  every  case  of  disease  as  to 
prescribe  an  iron  bedstead  rule  for  faith  or  conduct.  There 
are  some  Christians  who  must  be  allowed  to  think  on  lines 
which  might  possibly  be  regarded  by  others  as  unfruitful; 
and  yet  it  is  precisely  the  want  of  recognising  this  differ- 
ence in  conditions  which  makes  nearly  all  the  trouble 
among  Christians.  A  distinctly  philosophical  mind  will 
more  or  less  theorise  with  respect  to  nice  distinctions, 
while  an  eminently  practical  mind  will  avoid  these  dis- 
tinctions. Emotional  Christians  will  often  tire  of  the 
hard  logic  of  those  who  work  their  way  to  Christ  through 
the  strong  reasoning  of  the  theological  epistles;  and  yet 
if  all  get  to  Christ  it  makes  very  little  difference  about 
the  road  by  which  they  come.  When  once  at  the  centre, 
the  outlying  territory  may  be  easily  commanded,  but  as 
long  as  there  is  failure  to  reach  the  centre,  everything 
must  be  more  or  less  in  confusion. 

Just  here  is  the  principal  sphere  for  the  exercise  of 
true  Christian  liberty.  Let  each  man  be  fully  persuaded 
in  his  own  mind,  and  let  him  act  as  respects  his  methods 
as  seemeth  good  to  himself.  If  he  can  find  spiritual  com- 
fort in  considering  philosophy  or  critical  questions,  by  all 
means  let  him  have  liberty  to  do  so,  if  his  examinations 
are  conducted  in  the  spirit  of  Christ.  But  let  him  not 
treat  his  brother,  who  sees  no  good  in  such  things,  as 
ignorant,  or  as  incapable  of  making  spiritual  advancement. 
There  is  often  danger  that  we  will  make  culture  an  article 
of  our  faith.    Doubtless  culture  in  its  right  place  should 


2i8  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

not  be  despised,  but  it  must  never  be  allowed  to  look  with 
contempt  upon  the  uncultured,  provided  the  latter  are 
truly  following  the  Christ. 

This  brings  us  to  the  real  point  in  the  whole  contro- 
versy between  those  who  are  seeking  for  a  higher  develop- 
ment and  those  who  seem  practically  satisfied  with  things 
as  they  are.  Surely  patience  is  much  needed  in  order  that 
each  of  these  classes  shall  be  treated  fairly  and  their  mu- 
tual fellowship  be  not  disturbed.  And,  consequently,  if 
liberty  is  allowed  to  exercise  its  true  function,  the  edu- 
cated man  will  not  despise  the  uneducated  man,  nor  will 
the  latter  regard  the  former  as  obtrusive  and  arrogant 
because  he  seeks  to  help  his  weaker  brother  up  to  a  higher 
point  of  view,  and  a  wider  influence.  The  right  exercise 
of  religious  liberty  will  do  much  to  correct  a  thousand 
evils  which  beset  us  on  all  sides.  What  we  must  guard 
against  continually  is  any  tendency  which  interferes  with 
growth.  A  suppression  of  legitimate  liberty  is  sure  to 
dwarf  every  soul  which  this  suppression  touches.  Nothing 
will  be  so  fatal  to  religious  progress  as  a  compressed  legiti- 
mate liberty. 

Just  here  we  meet  the  chief  objection  to  human  creeds. 
They  crystallise  the  thought  of  to-day  and  make  it  a 
standard  for  all  time  to  come.  They  practically  declare 
that  all  truth  has  been  discovered  and  all  possible  progress 
has  been  made.  Such  a  view,  even  when  not  put  into 
practice,  has  a  paralysing  influence  upon  the  mind.  How- 
ever, when  each  person  has  had  liberty  to  judge  for  himself 
what  truth  is,  and  to  work  out  this  truth  in  his  own  life 
as  best  he  can,  then  there  is  not  only  chance  for  develop- 
ment, but  there  is  also  excellent  opportunity  for  develop- 
ment of  individuality,  and  nothing  is  more  needed  than 
this  to  make  either  political,  social,  or  religious  life  what 
it  ought  to  be.    A  dead-level  Christendom  would  be  as 


OF   LIBERTY  219 

monotonous  and  unfruitful  as  a  sandy  desert.  We  need 
all  through  our  churches  the  hills  and  valleys,  mountains 
and  plains,  which  are  everywhere  found  in  the  material 
world.  Variety  is  essential  in  Chiistianity  as  it  is  in 
nature.  The  only  thing  that  has  to  be  guarded  is  that 
this  variety  shall  be  legitimate,  and  when  such  is  the  case 
it  will  always  produce  a  harmonious  development. 


XX 

THE    PEOBLEM    OF    BIBLICAL    CKITICISM 

The  preacher  need  not  trouble  himself  very  much  about 
the  higher  critics.  As  a  rule  the  less  he  says  concerning 
them,  the  better  it  will  be  for  his  people.  The  mistake 
which  many  preachers  make  is  in  supposing  that  the  aver- 
age churchgoer  takes  any  interest,  whatever,  in  the  con- 
troversy which  the  higher  critics  have  raised.  Indeed,  it 
may  be  said  with  confidence  that  the  preacher  who  makes 
too  much  of  critical  matters  in  the  pulpit  will  soon  find 
he  has  made  a  mistake,  and  it  is  highly  probable  he  will 
not  be  slow  to  change  his  tactics. 

I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  the  questions  involved  in  the 
higher  criticism  are  unimportant.  I  am  free  to  admit 
that  they  are  of  transcendent  importance.  Furthermore, 
I  believe  they  ought  to  be  discussed,  but  at  present  they 
are  certainly  not  fit  subjects  for  pulpit  discussion.  They 
belong  to  the  region  of  books  and  magazines,  and  ought 
not  therefore  to  be  dragged  into  the  pulpit  where  they  are 
wholly  out  of  place. 

The  whole  controversy  is  still  in  a  state  of  flux.  Very 
little  is  yet  definitely  settled,  unless  it  be  that  very  much, 
which  has  been  regarded  by  the  higher  critics  as  of  great 
value,  has  ceased  to  be  worthy  of  any  serious  consideration. 
I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  the  controversy  has  done  no 
good.  I  think  it  has  done  much  good;  no  doubt  it  has 
done  some  harm.  Every  advance  in  human  progress  is 
attended  with  some  evil,  but  the  good  usually  largely 
overbalances  the  evil.     There  is  very  little  unmixed  good 

220 


OF   BIBLICAL   CRITICISM  221 

in  the  world.  Our  very  environment  is  tainted  with  sin. 
We  cannot  move  without  touching  some  phase  of  evil ;  and 
this  being  the  case,  any  intellectual  or  even  moral  revolu- 
tion is  sure  to  be  more  or  less  influenced  by  the  environ- 
ment in  which  this  revolution  originates  and  is  propagated. 

I  have  already  had  a  word  to  say  about  the  higher  crit- 
ics. I  frankly  admit  that  I  am  profoundly  thankful  for 
the  higher  criticism  controversy.  The  faith  of  some  has 
no  doubt  been  shaken;  in  other  cases  faith  has  been  com- 
pletely overthrown.  But  in  these  upheavals  there  has  been 
the  clearing  of  the  atmosphere  such  as  always  follows  the 
storm.  We  shall  understand  better  when  the  storm  is 
over,  "  when  the  stilly  hour  comes  on." 

One  thing  at  least  needs  to  be  strongly  emphasised.  The 
final  outcome  of  the  controversy  is  sure  to  strengthen  faith 
in  the  verity  and  trustworthiness  of  the  Bible.  Nor  is  it 
probable  that  when  we  have  settled  down  again  to  some- 
thing like  definite  conclusions,  we  shall  occupy  precisely 
the  same  ground  that  was  occupied  prior  to  the  higher 
critic  controversy.  We  shall  have  learned  something,  as 
well  as  unlearned  even  much  more.  However,  it  is  equally 
probable  that  when  we  have  settled  down  we  shall  not  be 
as  far  away  from  traditional  views  as  some  now  imagine. 
Consequently  I  think  that  the  true  policy  of  the  minister  of 
the  Gospel  is  to  keep  an  open  mind  with  respect  to  all 
the  questions  at  issue,  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  better 
to  keep  this  open  mind  in  silence  with  respect  to  the  issues 
at  stake.  I  am  persuaded  that  the  common  people  (and 
in  this  classification  I  place  the  average  minister  of  the 
Gospel)  will  be  the  final  jurors  in  the  case,  when  the 
critics  have  finished  their  work,  by  giving  us  all  the  facts, 
so  that  even  the  man  in  the  street  will  be  a  juror  in  decid- 
ing just  what  the  truth  is.  This  is  precisely  the  course 
taken  in  our  courts  of  law.     Experts  often  furnish  the 


222  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

main  facts  in  the  testimony,  but  the  jury  is  made  up  almost 
universally  of  the  common  people. 

Already  it  is  certain  that  a  strong  reaction  has  set  in 
against  the  conclusions  of  the  radical  higher  critics.  Such 
men  as  Wellhausen  and  Kuenen  no  longer  hold  the  field. 
Their  radical  conclusions  are  utterly  repudiated  by  the 
best  scholars  of  the  age.  The  time  was  when  the  higher 
critics  claimed  everything,  but  now  the  whole  aspect  of  the 
controversy  has  changed. 

In  any  case  it  is  a  fact  that  the  advanced  higher  critics 
have  had  their  day.  Even  in  Germany,  the  very  home  of 
Higher  Criticism,  the  reaction  is  very  pronounced.  Such 
men  as  Konig,  of  Bonn;  Voick,  of  Dorpat;  Kamhausen, 
of  Kiel ;  Orelli,  of  Basel,  and  Strack,  of  Berlin,  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  criticise  sharply  many  of  the  pronounced  views  of 
the  radical  higher  critics.  However,  the  most  eminent, 
and  perhaps  the  best-equipped,  scholar  in  Germany  is 
Hommel,  of  Munich.  He  has  been  doing  work  in  Germany 
similar  to  that  done  by  Professor  Sayce  in  England.  He 
has  endeavoured  to  overthrow  Wellhausenism  by  appealing 
to  archaeological  facts.  He  has  recently  published  an  im- 
portant article  in  which  he  attacks  one  of  the  chief  posi- 
tions of  Wellhausenism;  namely,  that  Jahveh  was  simply 
adopted  by  the  Israelites  from  the  Canaanites,  and  has  no 
connection  vsdth  the  sidereal  heavens.  He  shows  that  the 
earliest  Semites  worshipped  the  moon-god,  Ai,  and  that 
Moses  gave  to  that  worship  a  new  content  by  transforming 
it  into  the  worship  of  Jahveh. 

As  a  proof  of  the  reaction  intimated,  one  has  only  to 
read  the  leading  journals  of  Germany.  These  journals 
come  to  all  the  scholarly  centres  of  England,  and  while 
there  recently  I  learned  that  the  general  trend  of  the  most 
influential  papers  and  magazines  is  towards  conservative 
criticism. 


OF   BIBLICAL   CRITICISM  223 

Another  important  fact  bearing  on  the  question  is  the 
unmistakable  opposition  to  the  new  school  among  the 
clergy.  Some  of  the  most  eminent  pastors  are  beginning 
to  speak  out  boldly  on  the  question,  and  their  utterances 
are  helping  on  the  reaction. 

Evidently  the  spade  is  having  its  influence.  Eecent 
excavations  have  settled  a  number  of  facts  that  were  for- 
merly in  doubt.  One  of  the  most  important  of  these  is  the 
fact  that  continuous  writing  was  in  existence  at  least  two 
thousand  years  before  the  time  of  Moses.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  the  earlier  higher  critics  held  to  the  notion 
that  Moses  could  not  have  written  the  Pentateuch,  for  the 
reason  that  continuous  writing  was  in  his  time  an  un- 
heard-of thing.  Now  Professor  Petrie  brings  evidence 
from  his  Egyptian  excavations  that  continuous  writing 
existed  nearly  five  thousand  years  before  Christ. 

I  do  not  stop  to  inquire  into  the  question  of  chronology 
involved  in  this  statement.  Probably  Professor  Petrie  has 
stretched  his  line  of  antiquity  too  far.  Certainly  his 
dates  cannot  be  accepted  without  further  proof.  Never- 
theless, after  making  due  allowance  for  exaggeration  in 
respect  to  time,  it  is  still  abundantly  evident  that  long 
before  Moses  lived  there  existed  highly  developed  civilisa- 
tions in  different  parts  of  the  world,  and  that  these  civil- 
isations possessed  a  literature  of  no  mean  character. 
Indeed,  the  spade  is  likely  to  become  as  much  the  inter- 
preter of  evolution  as  it  is  of  criticism.  Already  it  has 
been  made  evident  that  the  notion  that  man  has  developed 
from  barbarism  to  his  present  civilised  state  is  not  in 
harmony  with  many  of  the  actual  facts  of  history. 

Now  that  the  extreme  higher  critical  views  are  passing 
away,  one  feels  almost  astonished  that  these  views  could 
ever  have  had  much  currency.  Nevertheless,  when  we  re- 
member that  even  Homer  has  been  cut  to  pieces  in  a  more 


224  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

vigorous  manner  than  the  Bible,  and  his  characters  all 
remanded  to  mythical  regions,  we  may  still  believe  that 
certain  minds  will  continue  to  \>e  fascinated  by  what  is 
called  the  subjective  method  of  criticism.  The  late  Max 
Muller,  one  of  the  most  eminent  scholars  of  his  day,  was 
wont  to  regard  the  war  with  Troy  as  only  a  form  of  the 
contest  waged  in  the  East  to  recover  the  treasures  of  which 
the  powers  of  darkness  had  robbed  the  day  in  the  West. 
He  furthermore  regarded  Helen  as  the  dawn,  and  Achilles 
as  a  solar  figure  under  whose  duty  and  prowess,  etc.,  are 
to  be  seen  merely  one  set  of  variations  of  the  theme  which 
has  engaged  the  poet's  imagination  during  all  ages. 

In  fact,  there  is  no  end  of  silly  conclusions  when  we 
begin  this  allegorical  work  in  real  earnest.  The  Bible 
can  easily  be  made  a  sort  of  oriental  picture  gallery, 
whose  paintings  may  be  ascribed  to  any  author  of  any 
age. 

Without  attempting  any  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the 
higher  criticism,  per  se,  it  may  be  well  to  make  a  sugges- 
tion or  two  with  respect  to  the  fundamental  principle  of 
this  criticism.  Without  going  into  details  it  is  sufficient 
to  say  that  this  criticism  is  a  method  rather  than  anything 
else.  It  is  simply  a  way  to  look  at  the  Bible.  In  short,  it 
is  the  eye  of  the  man  seeing  the  Bible  in  the  light  of  all 
the  facts  which  science,  archaeology,  literary  research,  etc., 
have  thrown  upon  its  pages,  with  the  additional  thought 
constantly  influencing  the  vision  that  the  Bible  must  be 
studied  just  as  we  study  any  other  book.  Now  there  is 
much  in  this  method  which  ought  to  commend  itself  to 
every  candid  inquirer  after  truth.  Undoubtedly  the  Bible 
ought  to  be  studied  in  the  light  of  all  the  facts  which 
science,  archaeology  and  literary  research,  etc.,  have  thrown 
upon  its  pages,  but  after  all  is  it  proper  to  study  the  Bible 
just  as  we  study  any  other  book  ? 


OF   BIBLICAL   CRITICISM  225 

Let  us  see  how  this  matter  will  work  out.  Is  the  Bible 
just  like  any  other  book?  If  it  is,  then  certainly  it  ought 
to  be  studied  just  like  any  other  book.  But  if  it  is  not, 
there  may  be  reasons  why  it  should  be  regarded  from  a 
very  different  standpoint  as  compared  with  other  books. 
Just  here  we  touch  the  crucial  point  in  the  whole  contro- 
versy, and,  consequently,  I  ask  careful  attention  to  the 
facts  of  the  case. 

In  my  opinion  the  Bible  is  not  just  like  any  other  book. 
Indeed,  there  is  no  other  book  which  makes  any  such 
claims  as  the  Bible.  The  one  feature  about  the  Bible  that 
distinguishes  it  from  all  other  books  is  precisely  that 
feature  which  is  not  regarded  by  the  higher  critics.  The 
Bible  claims  that  its  contents  are  mainly  from  God.  It 
claims  to  record  the  actual  words  of  the  Divine  Eather 
and  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Now  if  this  view  be  cor- 
rect, then  undoubtedly  the  Bible  cannot  be  considered  in 
its  origin,  or  in  what  it  contains,  as  like  other  books,  with- 
out denying  the  supernatural  element  which  is  everywhere 
present  in  it.  But  the  moment  the  supernatural  element 
is  conceded,  that  very  moment  does  much  of  the  contention 
of  the  higher  critics  fall  to  the  ground. 

Let  us  take  the  most  common  point  which  has  occupied 
attention  in  recent  discussions,  viz.,  the  literary  form  of 
the  Bible.  On  the  hypothesis  that  the  supernatural  ele- 
ment in  the  Bible  has  a  controlling  influence,  does  it  not 
at  once  become  apparent  that  the  literary  form  cannot  be 
allowed  to  override  that  which  produced  the  literary  form  ? 
Here  is  the  crux  of  the  whole  matter.  If  the  Bible  has  had 
a  supernatural  origin  at  all,  then  its  literary  form  must  be 
regarded  from  this  point  of  view,  and  not  from  the  point 
of  view  of  books  which  do  not  claim  to  have  a  supernatural 
origin.  To  sum  up  the  whole  case  in  a  sentence,  it  seems 
to  me  that  we  must  first  get  rid  of  everything  supernatural 


226  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

in  the  Bible  before  we  can  possibly  apply  to  it  the  same 
literary  criticism  that  we  do  to  other  books. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  that  is  exactly  what  the  extreme 
higher  critics  aim  to  do.  They  first  assume  that  the  Bible 
has  had  an  origin  just  like  other  books,  and  that  there  is 
nothing  supernatural  in  or  about  it.  They  then  try  to 
account  for  what  appears  to  be  supernatural  by  either 
ruling  it  out  altogether  or  else  by  subjecting  it  to  ordinary 
scientific  methods.  Can  this  be  legitimately  done?  No 
doubt  it  is  perfectly  proper  to  inquire  into  the  facts  as  to 
the  claim  which  the  Bible  makes  for  itself;  and  if  this 
claim  can  be  shown  to  be  illegitimate,  then  it  may  be  well 
to  regard  the  Bible  from  the  same  standpoint  which  may  be 
used  in  looking  at  any  other  book.  But  my  contention  is 
that  we  must  get  rid  of  the-  supernatural  before  this  course 
can  be  pursued,  and  when  the  supernatural  is  thus  disposed 
of,  the  real  value  of  the  Bible  to  Christians  is  practically 
destroyed. 

Of  course,  there  are  higher  critics  and  higher  critics. 
Extremists  there  are  in  all  schools.  These  must  be  watched, 
no  matter  what  their  position  may  be.  The  extreme  higher 
critics  do  not  hesitate  to  dispose  of  the  supernatural  in 
the  Bible  the  moment  they  begin  their  investigations,  and 
it  is  precisely  this  fact  in  their  method  which  makes  their 
investigations  really  worthless.  But  the  moment  the  super- 
natural is  admitted,  that  moment  does  all  real  difficulty 
cease  as  regards  either  the  literary  form  of  the  Bible  or 
any  of  its  statements.  It  is  ridiculous  to  say  that  this  or 
that  could  not  have  been  the  case,  if  we  first  admit  that 
God  is  the  author  of  what  we  are  considering.  It  is  per- 
fectly true  that  we  have  a  right  to  reckon  as  a  factor  in 
our  calculation  what  we  know  to  be  the  usual  method  of 
divine  working.  But  may  not  the  usual  method  be  exactly 
that  which  is  revealed  in  the  points  which  may  be  under 


OF   BIBLICAL   CRITICISM  227 

discussion?  How  shall  we  determine  that  this  or  that 
particular  fact,  brought  to  view  in  the  Bible,  is  not  in 
harmony  with  divine  methods?  What  do  we  know  about 
divine  methods,  except  as  we  leam  them  in  nature  and 
revelation?  But  if  we  reject  certain  parts  of  revelation, 
how  do  we  know  that  the  other  parts  may  be  trusted  ?  In 
short,  are  we  capable  of  measuring  the  periphery  of  the 
circle  of  divine  procedure?  This  question  touches  the 
vital  point  in  the  critical  controversy. 

If  we  may  "presume  God  to  scan,^'  then,  possibly,  the 
whole  method  of  the  higher  criticism  is  right.  It  is  cer- 
tainly partly  right  in  any  case.  Undoubtedly  there  is  much 
in  the  Bible  which  must  be  studied  just  as  we  study  any 
other  book;  but  all  the  same,  it  is  still  true  that  we  cannot 
ignore  the  supernatural  without  reducing  the  Bible  to  a 
plane  which  practically  destroys  its  authoritative  character 
and  leaves  it  a  puzzling  enigma,  both  to  the  purely  literar}'' 
critic  and  to  the  devout  Christian.  A  better  way  is  to  try 
to  explain  both  the  origin  and  character  of  the  Bible  from 
the  point  of  view  of  the  supernatural  rather  than  try  to 
explain  the  supernatural  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
ordinary  rules  of  literary  criticism.  When  the  super- 
natural is  once  admitted,  everything  about  the  Bible  is 
easily  accounted  for ;  but  when  the  supernatural  is  excluded, 
then  the  task  of  the  literary  critic  is  practically  super- 
human. Just  here  we  feel  confident  is  the  pivot  upon 
which  the  whole  question  revolves,  and  it  is  just  here  that 
we  must  begin  all  our  investigations  with  respect  to  the 
origin,  genuineness,  and  authenticity  of  the  Bible. 

But  no  matter  what  view  the  preacher  may  take  of  the 
higher  criticism  as  a  method,  or  what  conclusion  he  may 
reach  with  respect  to  the  results  of  that  criticism,  he  must, 
in  his  public  ministrations,  avoid  any  method  or  any  con- 
clusion that  will  serve  to  weaken  the  faith  of  his  people  in 


228  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures.  No 
preacher  can  make  his  public  ministry  a  success  if  he 
strikes  from  under  him  the  very  foundation  of  the  faith 
which  he  is  seeking  to  establish.  I  know  it  may  be  said 
that  Christ  is  the  foundation,  and  therefore  it  matters  very 
little  about  the  Scriptures  if  Christ  is  accepted  by  the 
people.  But  will  Christ  be  accepted  by  the  people  when 
their  faith  in  the  only  source  of  information  concerning 
Him  is  practically  destroyed  ?  It  is  easy  to  say  that  every- 
thing is  all  right  when  Christ  is  once  reached  and  ap- 
propriated; but  will  we  ever  reach  Him  or  appropriate 
Him  if  we  remove  the  only  means  by  which  we  can  reach 
Him  and  appropriate  Him?  We  must  not  forget  that 
"  faith  comes  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God." 

In  this  statement  I  pass  no  criticism  upon  those  who 
believe  that  the  best  way  to  make  valid  and  impressive  the 
testimony  of  the  Scriptures  is  to  study  them  in  the  light  of 
all  the  facts  which  science,  archaeology,  literary  research, 
etc.,  have  thrown  upon  their  pages,  but  I  do  criticise  and 
strongly  repudiate  any  one  who  takes  the  radical  view 
suggested  by  Dr.  Cheyne,  of  Oxford  University,  who  in  a 
signed  article  in  the  Contemporary  Review,  an  article 
intended  to  show  the  teachers  of  youth  how  to  utilise  the 
biblical  criticism  which  he  favours  in  the  instruction 
of  our  young  people,  says,  "We  must  not  permit  the 
young  people,  after  a  certain  age,  to  suppose  that  we 
know,  or  that  any  one  knows,  or  that  the  writers  of 
Genesis  profess  to  know,  anything  historically  of  the  Is- 
raelites— Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob."  The  Doctor  then 
distinctly  appeals  to  "  The  Clergy  of  the  National  Church 
not  to  treat  Genesis  as  a  collection  of  immensely  ancient 
family  records,  when  it  is  nothing  of  the  kind." 

Now  it  may  be  said,  and  it  can  be  said  with  truth,  that 
Dr.  Cheyne  does  not  represent  the  more  cautious  writers 


OF   BIBLICAL   CRITICISM  229 

of  the  higher  critical  school.  But  it  may  be  said  also  that 
when  we  reach  the  more  cautious  writers  of  the  higher 
critical  school  there  is  no  particular  reason  to  find  fault 
with  them,  by  any  one  who  recognises  the  fact  that  the 
Bible  should  be  studied  in  the  light  of  all  the  facts  which 
science,  archaeology,  literary  research,  etc.,  have  thrown 
upon  its  pages.  It  is  the  radical  school  of  higher  critics, 
represented  by  Dr.  Cheyne,  who  are  precisely  the  men  who 
are  influencing  the  ministry  of  the  present  day  to  give  up 
the  historical  trustworthiness  of  the  only  book  which  gives 
any  connected  account  of  the  origin,  history,  and  destiny 
of  man;  the  only  book  which  gives  us  any  knowledge  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

What  the  preacher  must  do  in  his  public  ministry  is  to 
maintain  by  all  possible  means  the  faith  of  the  people  in 
the  trustworthiness  of  the  old  family  Bible.  When  this 
trustworthiness  has  been  broken  down,  no  matter  for  what 
reason,  the  preacher  may  just  as  well  "  fold  his  tents  and 
steal  away"  from  the  place  of  his  ministry.  Christian 
people  without  faith  in  the  Word  of  God  is  an  impossibil- 
ity, and  a  Christian  preacher  who  does  anything  to  in- 
validate that  faith  will  soon  find  himself  playing  "  Hamlet '' 
with  Hamlet's  part  left  out. 

I  know  quite  well  what  will  be  said  by  some  in  reply 
to  all  this.  They  will  say  that  the  best  way  to  establish 
the  faith  of  the  people  is  to  give  them  a  Bible  which  may 
be  studied  like  any  other  book,  and  when  so  studied  it 
will  shine  all  the  brighter  in  everything  that  is  essential 
to  the  salvation  of  men.  Now  this  may  be  true  with 
respect  to  some  men.  But  is  it  true  with  respect  to  the 
majority  of  men?  I  think  it  is  altogether  possible  for 
a  man  to  be  a  radical  higher  critic,  according  to  the 
school  of  Dr.  Cheyne,  and  yet  hold  firmly  to  the  reli- 
gion of  Christ.     There  are,  no  doubt,  men  of  this  kind. 


230  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

but  I  do  not  think  their  number  is  very  large.  It  is  also 
possible  for  some  men  to  be  habitual  drinkers  of  ardent 
spirits,  during  the  whole  period  of  a  lifetime,  and  yet  not 
become  drunkards;  but  most  men  will  agree  that  these  are 
exceptional  cases,  and  do  not  illustrate  the  general  rule. 
Doubtless  the  radical  higher  criticism  may  not  be  specially 
dangerous  to  a  few  well-trained  minds,  who  have  already 
a  firm  grip  on  Christ  and  his  salvation,  and  who  are  at  the 
same  time  exceptionally  strong  in  their  moral  manhood; 
but  I  very  seriously  doubt  the  propriety  of  feeding  the 
majority  of  men  on  higher  criticism  diet,  if  we  expect  them 
to  be  devout  believers  in  God  and  the  Christian  religion. 
But  however  this  may  be,  it  is  simply  certain  that  the 
preacher  in  his  pulpit  ministrations  must  not  attempt  to 
follow  Dr.  Cheyne  in  an  effort  to  weaken  the  faith  of  the 
people  in  the  historical  accuracy  of  the  Scriptures  by  prac- 
tically making  myths  of  such  characters  as  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob. 


XXI 

PROBLEM  OF  HEEMENEUTICS 

While  the  preacher,  in  his  ordinary  pulpit  ministra- 
tions, should  give  the  higher  critics  a  wide  berth,  he  should 
be  a  master  in  exposition.  I  have  already  intimated  that 
expository  preaching,  if  well  done,  is  the  only  preaching 
that  will  stand  the  test  of  a  continued  pastorate.  Topical 
preaching  may  be  well  enough  now  and  then,  but  he  who 
relies  upon  it  and  makes  it  the  staple  method  of  his  pulpit 
discourses  will  soon  find  himself  either  without  an  au- 
dience, or,  if  he  retains  one,  it  will  be  of  little  service  to 
him  in  sustaining  his  ministry,  or  in  developing  the  spir- 
ituality of  his  church  members.  There  is  no  food  so 
helpful  to  spiritual  growth  as  the  unadulterated  Word  of 
God.  When  this  dwells  in  the  members  richly  the  fruit 
is  sure  to  be  unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting  life. 

This  being  the  case,  it  is  certainly  all-important  to  un- 
derstand the  Word  in  order  that  it  may  be  preached  in  its 
purity  and  simplicity.  Doubtless  the  higher  criticism, 
when  it  is  held  within  legitimate  bounds,  has  a  distinct 
value  for  even  pulpit  work;  but,  as  has  already  been  inti- 
mated, much  care  must  be  exercised  in  the  use  of  any 
method  which  tends  to  change  the  popular  understanding 
of  the  Bible  as  a  divine  and  authoritative  book  with  respect 
to  all  religious  matters.  At  the  same  time  it  is  possible 
for  one  to  have  a  profound  reverence  for  the  Bible  as  it 
now  exists,  and  yet  have  very  little  concern  about  what 
that  Bible  teaches.  I  know  some  preachers  who  would 
not  hesitate  to  issue  Lilliputian  bulls  of  excommunication 

231 


232  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

for  any  higher  critic  who  would  dare  lay  violent  hands 
upon  any  traditional  view  of  the  origin,  literary  character, 
and  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures,  but  who,  at  the  same 
time,  practically  ignore,  or  either  pervert  or  neglect,  some 
of  the  plainest  passages  in  the  Bible,  simply  because  these 
passages  flatly  contradict  the  creed  which  these  preachers 
have  accepted.  In  short,  there  are  not  a  few  who  would 
probably  die  for  their  faith  in  the  Bible  as  a  book,  but 
who  would  be  willing  to  see  others  die  who  contend  ear- 
nestly for  the  truth  that  is  in  the  Bible. 

It  is  well  to  make  the  distinction  which  is  here  inti- 
mated. The  Bible  as  a  book  is  certainly  well  enough  to 
begin  with,  but  if  we  stop  there,  we  may  be  guilty  of 
simply  a  sort  of  book  worship  while,  at  the  same  time,  we 
do  not  really  believe  what  is  in  the  book,  or  at  least  do 
not  practise  what  is  in  it. 

All  this  distinctly  emphasises  the  importance  of  the 
problem  of  hermeneutics.  How  may  the  Bible  be  under- 
stood? It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  (as  I  have  already 
shown)  there  are  three  Bibles  in  every  house.  One  is  the 
old  family  Bible  which  lies  on  the  stand,  and  does  not 
change,  when  we  have  it  according  to  the  original  auto- 
graphs. The  second  is  my  Bible,  or  my  interpretation  of 
the  old  family  Bible,  as  I  apply  it  to  my  own  conduct,  and 
the  third  is  your  Bible,  or  my  interpretation  of  the  old 
family  Bible  in  relation  to  your  conduct.  I  do  not  say 
that  these  three  Bibles  are  necessary,  but  I  do  say  they  prac- 
tically exist  in  every  household  where  there  is  any  Bible 
at  all.  It  is  easy  for  one  to  aflSrm  that  he  takes  the  Bible, 
and  the  Bible  alone,  as  his  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  but 
when  my  brother  insists  that  he  does  this,  I  always  ask 
him  which  Bible  he  means,  for  I  know  quite  well  that  he 
uses  at  least  three,  and  consequently  his  plea  for  the  Bible 
and  the  Bible  alone  is  of  little  consequence   if  his  inter- 


OF   HERMENEUTICS  233 

pretations  of  the  Bible  do  not  correspond  to  the  old  family 
Bible  itself.  The  best  that  every  man  can  do  is  to  follow 
his  interpretation  of  the  Bible,  for  this  is  what  the  Bible 
means  to  him,  and  if  he  is  honest,  he  must  necessarily  fol- 
low what  he  conceives  the  Bible  to  teach,  whether  this  is 
the  true  meaning  or  not. 

Hence,  it  will  be  seen  that  a  correct  system  of  interpre- 
tation is  most  important  for  the  preacher.  He  is  to  be  an 
expounder  of  God's  Word.  He  is  to  do  what  Ezra  did 
when  he  read  the  law  of  the  Lord  to  the  people  from  a 
pulpit  of  wood,  after  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  had  been  re- 
paired under  the  direction  of  Nehemiah.  It  is  said  that 
Ezra  and  those  who  had  been  selected  to  read  the  law  read 
it  "  distinctly,  and  gave  the  sense,  and  caused  the  people 
to  understand  the  reading." 

Now  this  is  still  the  special  oflBce  of  the  preacher.  He 
must  stand  before  the  people  and  read  the  word  of  God 
distinctly,  and  give  the  sense,  and  cause  his  hearers  to 
understand  it.  In  short,  the  true  preacher  is  an  expositor 
as  well  as  a  proclaimer  of  the  Word  of  God.  He  must  not 
speak  that  Word  in  an  unknown  language;  consequently 
he  must  not  only  understand  what  the  Word  teaches,  but 
he  must  be  able,  by  the  use  of  the  simplest  form  of  speech, 
to  apply,  illustrate,  and  to  make  the  meaning  so  plain  that 
even  a  wayfaring  man,  though  a  simpleton,  need  not  err 
therein. 

Now  this  brings  us  to  the  important  question,  is  it 
possible  to  find  and  use  any  method  of  interpretation 
which  will  lead  to  infallible  certainty  as  regards  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Bible?  If  such  a  method  can  be  found  and 
wisely  used  the  time  may  come  when  the  three  Bibles  to 
which  I  have  called  attention  will  be  reduced  practically 
to  one,  and  then  it  will  be  also  possible  to  realise  Christian 
union  which  has  so  long  been  little  more  than  a  dream — 


234  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

with  those  who  deplore  the  present  divided  state  of  Chris- 
tendom. 

There  are  at  least  three  methods  of  interpretation  in 
popular  use,  viz. : 

1.  The  Dogmatic  Method. 

2.  The  Mystic  Method. 

3.  The  Inductive  Method. 

The  first  of  these  practically  asserts  a  thing  is  true 
and  then  goes  to  work  to  find  passages  of  Scripture  to  prove 
it.  By  this  method  the  Bible  can  be  made  to  sustain 
almost  any  doctrine  or  practice;  for  only  such  passages 
and  portions  of  passages  are  used  as  will  answer  the  pur- 
pose of  those  who  use  them.  This  method  in  the  hands  of 
scrap  doctors  and  sectarians  has  made  sad  work  of  the 
Bible. 

As  an  illustration  of  what  I  mean,  I  may  mention 
that,  in  a  conversation  with  a  distinguished  preacher  of 
Liverpool,  England,  I  quoted  Acts  ii.  38,  and  gave  what  I 
conceived  to  be  its  true  meaning.  After  thinking  a  moment, 
he  said  to  me  in  all  earnestness,  "  Your  interpretation 
seems  to  be  reasonable.  Indeed,  I  never  saw  it  in  that 
light  before,  and  if  that  be  the  meaning,  then  my  under- 
standing of  the  passage  has  been  always  wrong.  But  can 
we  not  make  it  mean  something  else  ?  "  I  answered  him  by 
saying,  "  Certainly  we  might  make  it  mean  anything,  but 
is  that  the  way  to  treat  the  Word  of  God?  Have  we  any 
right  to  make  it  mean  something  different  from  what  it 
really  does  mean  ?  He  accepted  very  cordially  my  reproof, 
and  told  me  frankly  that  he  would  never  use  the  passage 
again  as  he  had  been  accustomed  to  use  it,  but  would  give 
to  his  people  what  he  now  saw  was  its  true  meaning. 

The  dogmatic  method  will  not  do.  We  must  go  to  the 
Scriptures  with  an  open  mind,  not  asking  them  to  say 
what  we  say,  but  asking  them  for  the  true  meaning  of 


OF   HERMENEUTICS  235 

what  they  do  say,  and  then  we  must  be  willing  to  accept 
this  meaning,  no  matter  what  we  would  prefer  in  the 
case.  In  short,  we  must  not  prejudge,  and  then  compel 
the  Scriptures,  or,  to  use  the  language  of  my  friend,  make 
the  Scriptures  say  what  we  prefer  them  to  say. 

The  second  method  is  likely  to  lead  to  equally  fallacious 
conclusions.  The  doctrine  of  the  inner  consciousness  is 
an  important  factor  in  the  matter  of  interpretation,  but 
when  it  leads  to  practical  mysticism  it  becomes  at  once 
a  dangerous  factor.  The  eye  is  unquestionably  very  much 
influenced  by  the  subjective  life.  We  see  things  from  the 
heart,  and  hence  the  New  Version  tells  us  that  the  heart 
has  eyes.  This  is  practically  a  new  revelation  of  certain 
important  passages  of  Scripture.  Instead  of  saying  "the 
eyes  of  the  understanding  "  we  can  now  say  "  the  eyes  of 
the  heart,"  and  consequently  when  we  quote  the  passage 
"  The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God,"  we  at  once  realise  that 
only  the  pure  in  heart  can  see  Him  because  the  eyes  in  all 
others  are  holden,  and  have  not  the  vision  which  enables 
them  to  see  Him  who  is  obscured  from,  all  who  have  not 
purity  of  heart. 

By  the  way,  this  passage  does  not  simply  mean  that 
"  The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God  "  in  the  future  life.  Its 
primary  signification  relates  to  the  present  life,  and  means 
that  "  The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God  "  now,  for  they  see 
the  good,  and  this  was  the  original  Anglo-Saxon  conception 
of  God — He  was  the  good.  The  good  heart  makes  a  good 
eye,  and  the  good  eye  finds  the  good,  and  consequently  the 
good  heart  will  see  God  even  in  the  present  life,  though  it 
may  not  see  Him  in  this  life  in  all  of  his  beauty.  Even 
the  best  eyes  are  yet  somewhat  obscured  in  vision  by  the 
mist  of  this  low  ground  where  sin  abounds,  but  when  the 
"mists  have  cleared  away,"  we  shall  then  see  God  as  He 
is,  as  the  Apostle  John  says  we  shall  see  Christ;  for  when 


236  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

we  are  like  Christ  then  our  eyes  will  no  longer  be  holden 
to  all  the  perfections  of  hia  character. 

While  then  the  inner  life  must  necessarily  have  con- 
siderable influence  upon  our  interpretations  of  Scripture 
we  must  not  trust  it  too  far,  for  this  inner  life  is  itself 
a  variable  quantity  in  different  individuals,  and  will  there- 
fore give  a  variety  of  meanings  for  the  same  passage  of 
Scripture  if  we  trust  to  its  guidance  exclusively.  At  the 
same  time  I  believe  it  is  true  that  only  the  spiritual  man 
can  understand  the  things  of  the  spirit  of  God,  for  to  the 
carnal  or  physical  man  these  things  of  the  spirit  are  prac- 
tically hidden,  and  cannot  be  understood  by  him  until 
through  the  Gospel  he  is  enlightened  by  having  his  eyes 
opened,  his  heart  changed,  and  his  whole  position  har- 
monised with  the  will  of  God.  Consequently  the  preacher 
will  be  unable  to  deal  faithfully  and  intelligently  with  the 
exposition  of  God's  Word  unless  he  is  a  spiritually  minded 
man,  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  with  an  eye  single  to 
every  glimpse  of  truth  which  comes  to  him  from  the  grand 
old  book  which  it  is  his  office  to  read  and  expound  to  the 
people. 

Nevertheless  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  what  is  called 
the  mystic  method  of  interpretation  has  been  productive 
of  much  evil.  But  we  must  distinguish  between  things 
that  essentially  differ.  The  preparation  of  the  heart  for 
the  study  of  God's  Word  is  one  thing  and  the  refusal  to 
be  guided  by  an3rthing  except  certain  subjective  states  of 
the  mind  is  quite  another  thing.  The  wise  exegete  will 
use  all  legitimate  means  to  help  his  audience  to  under- 
stand the  Word  of  God. 

This  brings  us  to  the  Inductive  method,  which  is  really 
the  Scientific  method;  and  when  not  pressed  too  far,  and 
when  used  in  connection  with  all  legitimate  helps,  is  un- 
doubtedly the  safest  method  in  interpreting  the  Scriptures. 


OF   HERMENEUTICS  237 

This  method  does  not  ask  the  Scriptures  to  say  what  we 
say,  but  it  asks  them  to  say  simply  what  they  really  mean, 
and  then  we  will  say  just  what  they  say. 

Of  course  this  method  assumes  that  we  come  to  our 
investigation  with  a  free  mind,  without  controlling  pre- 
conceived opinions.  This,  however,  is  the  hard  thing  to 
do,  and  just  here  is  where  the  method  often  breaks  down 
and  fails  to  bring  us  the  whole  truth  and  nothing  but  the 
truth. 

During  a  musical  festival  at  Leeds,  England,  I  was 
walking  along  a  certain  street,  when  suddenly  I  was  almost 
swept  off  my  feet  by  the  surging  of  a  great  crowd  which 
was  running  towards  a  crossing.  I  stopped  upon  the  door- 
steps of  a  house,  which  stood  out  to  the  sidewalk,  in  order 
to  protect  myself.  The  owner  of  the  house  opened  the 
door  and  I  began  to  apologise  for  the  liberty  I  had  taken. 
"But,"  said  I,  "what  is  all  this  about?  Why  are  the 
people  so  apparently  crazy  ?  "  His  answer  was  simply,  "  The 
Duke,  the  Duke."  "What  Duke?"  said  I.  "Why,  the 
Duke  of  Edinburgh.  He  is  just  crossing  the  street  yonder, 
and  is  on  his  way  to  the  Festival;  this  crowd  is  rushing 
to  see  him."  By  this  time  my  American  blood  was  de- 
cidedly stirred,  and  I  replied  by  saying :  "  Suppose  it  is 
the  Duke  of  Edinburgh,  and  suppose  he  is  going  to  the 
Festival,  is  that  any  reason  why  the  people  should  make 
fools  of  themselves  and  run  over  a  man  like  I  am  ?  "  The 
Englishman  looked  at  me  until  he  had  fairly  taken  in  my 
nationality,  and  then  said,  "  Stranger,  it  is  all  in  the  way 
you  look  at  it." 

I  was  reproved.  I  knew  he  had  stated  the  truth.  To 
an  Englishman  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh  looked  to  be  an 
important  character ;  to  an  American  he  did  not  look  bigger 
than  the  Prince  Leopold  did  to  the  Chicago  editor,  who 
in  announcing  Leopold's  arrival  at  Chicago,  put  it  in  a 


238  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

blazing  head  line  as  follows :  "  Little  Lepy  arrived  at  Chi- 
cago last  night."  Truly,  it  is  generally  all  in  the  way  we 
look  at  it.  And  our  interpretation  of  a  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture will  probably  be  according  to  the  way  we  look  at  it. 

This  illustration  serves  to  show  how  standpoint  affects 
our  judgment.  We  are  decidedly  influenced  by  the  point 
of  view  from  which  we  consider  anything.  But  the  eye 
itself  is  frequently  very  seriously  affected  by  the  way  it  has 
been  educated  to  look  at  things.  I  was  once  in  a  great 
picture  gallery,  and  was  viewing  one  of  the  most  noted 
pictures  in  the  gallery,  entitled  "The  Expulsion  of  the 
Moors  from  Granada,"  when  suddenly  I  noticed  a  young 
woman  break  away  from  a  number  of  country  women,  who 
were  following  close  after  me,  and  this  young  woman  came 
up  to  the  picture  I  was  contemplating.  She  looked  at  it 
a  moment  and  then  ran  back  to  where  her  mother  was 
and  said,  "  Mother,  hurry  up !  I  have  found  something 
worthy  to  look  at,  a  great  picture  of  a  circus";  and 
then  the  country  women  moved  up  to  the  picture  and 
gazed  upon  it  with  intense  satisfaction.  It  was  "all  in 
the  way  they  looked  at  it." 

I  was  once  passing  out  with  a  great  crowd  from  one  of 
Rubinstein's  magnificent  piano  recitals.  Some  of  his  notes 
were  still  lingering  in  my  memory,  when  suddenly  a  great 
big  rustic  broke  out  in  this  fashion,  "  I  wonder  if  any- 
body thought  that  was  music?  To  me  it  was  nonsense. 
If  he  had  played  '  Polly  put  the  kettle  on,'  or  '  The  Fisher's 
Hornpipe '  I  would  have  enjoyed  it ;  but  his  banging 
the  piano  over  Wagner,  Liszt,  and  Beethoven  had  no  music 
in  it  for  me." 

If  there  is  anything  in  these  illustrations  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  the  preacher  will  be  largely  influenced  in  his  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures  by  the  education  he  has  re- 
ceived, and  by  the  environment  in  which  he  is  placed,  and 


OF   HERMENEUTICS  239 

the  special  standpoint  from  which  he  looks  at  the  particu- 
lar Scripture  under  consideration. 

Hence  there  is  such  a  thing  as  dispensational  truth,  or 
truth  which  can  be  seen  only  when  it  is  seen  in  the  light 
of  the  dispensation  to  which  it  belongs.  Now  there  are  at 
least  three  dispensations  belonging  to  the  whole  area  of 
the  Bible: 

1.  The  Patriarchal  Dispensation. 

2.  The  Jewish  Dispensation. 

3.  The  Christian  Dispensation. 

In  the  study  of  any  particular  passage  of  Scripture  we 
must  first  determine  to  which  of  these  dispensations  it 
properly  belongs ;  for  until  this  fact  is  settled  it  will  prob- 
ably be  impossible  for  us  to  understand  its  true  meaning 
or  proper  application.  The  moving  of  our  standpoint  will 
often  change  our  whole  view  of  anything  we  have  been 
considering. 

Once  while  crossing  the  Atlantic  I  witnessed  an  optical 
illusion  which  well  illustrates  the  influence  of  standpoint. 
It  was  midsummer,  and  an  awning  had  been  stretched  over 
the  saloon  deck.  One  evening,  while  the  deck  was  crowded 
with  passengers,  some  threatening  clouds  were  seen  on  the 
larboard  side  of  the  ship.  Through  a  rift  in  these  clouds 
the  moonlight  was  streaming  upon  the  water,  though  the 
moon  itself,  which  was  about  fifteen  degrees  above  the  hori- 
zon, was  not  visible,  on  account  of  the  clouds  which  came 
between  it  and  the  ship.  The  moonlight  came  upon  the 
waters  where  the  cloud  was  broken,  and  did  not  reach  the 
ship  where  the  passengers  were  viewing  the  phenomenon. 
The  effect  was  to  create  an  apparent  shore  line,  with  the 
banks  rising  up  toward  the  moonlight,  until  touched  by 
the  hanging  clouds.  The  passengers  were  under  the  awn- 
ing, and  from  this  view  point  each  one  affirmed  most  posi- 
tively that  we  were  surely  sailing  along  close  to  the  shore; 


240  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

and  really  nothing  could  have  looked  more  like  the  shore 
than  the  appearance  before  us.  When  the  discussion  had 
reached  the  emphatic  stage,  I  suggested  that  the  matter 
could  be  easily  tested  by  changing  our  position;  and  suit- 
ing the  action  to  the  word,  I  stepped  out  from  under  the 
awning  toward  the  bow  of  the  vessel,  and  soon  discovered 
that  the  whole  thing  was  an  optical  illusion.  The  separa- 
tion between  the  clouds  and  the  water  was  now  distinctly 
visible,  while  nothing  but  the  horizon  could  be  seen  where, 
while  under  the  awning,  the  shore  line  had  been  clearly 
marked.  The  change  of  standpoint  had  made  all  the  dif- 
ference; and  this  is  what  always  happens  in  our  view  of 
things.  As  long  as  we  occupy  the  same  view  point  differ- 
ent persons  will  see  things  probably  precisely  alike;  and 
it  may  be  that  what  they  see  will  be  a  perversion  of  the 
truth,  simply  because  the  view  point  creates  an  optical 
illusion.  The  main  difficulty  is  that  some  men  persistently 
refuse  to  change  their  point  of  view.  They  keep  them- 
selves under  whatever  awning  has  been  spread  over  them; 
and  though  the  light  of  God  may  stream  through  the  rifts 
of  the  clouds,  they  will  earnestly  contend  that  they  are  mov- 
ing along  a  shore  line  which  limits  the  ocean  of  God's  truth, 
when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  shore  line  is  simply  the 
creation  of  the  awning  which  is  overshadowing  them  and 
controlling  their  mental  vision.  If  they  would  only  step 
out  from  under  their  creeds  or  preconceived  notions  they 
would  soon  discover  that  in  their  former  position  they 
were  labouring  under  a  mental  delusion. 

This  fact  will  serve  to  explain  many  of  the  differences 
that  exist  among  equally  honest  professing  Christians. 
Some  of  these  will  continue  to  see  a  shore  line  where  there 
is  none,  no  matter  how  much  light  they  may  have  at  their 
disposal,  utterly  refusing  to  step  out  from  under  the  awn- 
ing which  is  over  them.     They  will  continue  to  contend 


OF   HERMENEUTICS  241 

that  black  is  white,  and  white  is  black.  Of  course  this  is 
a  lamentable  state  of  things;  but  it  is  a  state  of  things 
that  must  be  taken  into  the  account  in  all  our  efforts  to 
reach  a  true  system  of  biblical  interpretation.  In  any  case 
a  fact,  so  self-evident,  ought  to  teach  us  to  have  charity 
toward  one  another  when  we  cannot  see  exactly  alike  with 
respect  to  the  meaning  of  the  Scriptures.  If  we  cannot 
always  see  alike  with  respect  to  physical  things  we  ought 
not  to  be  surprised  if  in  spiritual  things  we  should  some- 
times differ  even  where  there  is  no  reason  for  differing, 
except  that  we  refuse  to  move  out  from  under  our  awning. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  the  inductive 
method  may  be  largely  used  with  respect  to  biblical  inter- 
pretation, so  as  to  arrive  at  practically  infallible  cer- 
tainty. 

But  however  helpful  the  inductive  method  may  be  in 
the  matter  of  biblical  interpretation,  certain  conditions 
favourable  to  interpretation  must  be  presupposed  before 
any  method  will  avail  much  in  reaching  infallible  certainty. 
A  few  of  these  conditions  it  may  be  well  to  carefully  note 
at  this  particular  point. 

1.  No  matter  how  good  a  method  may  be  it  must  be 
wisely  used.  We  must  believe  the  Bible  can  be  understood. 
No  method  will  avail  if  we  regard  the  Bible  as  a  sealed 
book. 

We  must  desire  to  understand  the  Bible.^  If  we  take 
delight  in  mystery  and  shut  our  eyes  to  the  light,  no 
method  will  be  of  any  use.  We  must  take  at  least  the 
same  pains  we  would  in  understanding  any  other  book  or 
subject.  All  the  truth  in  the  Bible  does  not  lie  immediately 
on  the  surface.  You  must  dig  for  the  best  results  as  you 
must  dig  for  the  most  precious  metals  in  nature. 

2.  We  should  if  possible  become  acquainted  with  the 
languages  in  which  the  Bible  was  written.    No  translations. 


242  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

however  honestly  made,  will  convey  to  us  the  full  meaning 
of  the  originals. 

3.  Every  passage  must  be  examined  in  the  light  of  its 
immediate  context  and  the  general  trend  of  biblical  teach- 
ing.    This  is  a  most  important  matter. 

The  following  suggestions  will  do  much  to  assist  in 
reaching  the  correct  meaning  of  the  Scriptures. 

1.  Honesty  of  aim.  Seek  only  the  truth,  no  matter 
where  it  may  lead. 

2.  Cultivate  the  spiritual  faculty;  as  the  eye  sees  what 
the  heart  feels,  it  is  most  important  that  the  spiritual 
faculty  should  dominate  while  considering  spiritual  things. 

3.  Make  a  profound  study  of  the  Bible.  Do  not  imagine 
that  truth  comes  to  us  any  more  than  other  good  things, 
without  asking,  seeking,  and  knocking. 

4.  Become  acquainted  with  the  manners,  habits,  cus- 
toms, etc.,  of  the  people  to  whom  the  various  parts  of  the 
Bible  were  first  written. 

5.  See  to  it  that  the  right  attitude  towards  the  Bible 
is  assumed.  We  must  not  be  hostile  to  it;  we  must  treat 
the  Bible  with  courtesy,  and  kindness,  as  we  would  a  friend. 

6.  In  our  application  of  the  inductive  method  we  must 
be  careful  to  select  our  passages,  not  because  they  say  what 
we  say,  but  because  they  are  the  exact  passages  which  le- 
gitimately belong  to  the  subject  under  consideration. 

7.  We  must  make  a  clear  distinction  between  matters  of 
fact  and  matters  of  philosophy. 

By  observing  these  simple  things  it  is  believed  that  the 
preacher  will  be  able  to  arrive  at  infallible  certainty  with 
respect  to  all  those  passages  which  belong  specially  to  his 
pulpit  ministration.  Of  course  it  is  freely  admitted  that 
the  Bible  contains  some  depths  which  may  not  be  measured 
exactly  by  any  or  all  the  methods  of  biblical  interpreta- 


OF  HERMENEUTICS  243 

tion.  But  these  Scriptures  need  not  be  brought  into  the 
pulpit,  and  especially  if  they  have  little  or  nothing  to  do 
with  the  work  of  the  minister  of  the  Gospel.  I  have  aimed 
simply  to  make  such  suggestions  as  will  help  the  preacher 
with  those  passages  which  specially  belong  to  his  public 
ministration. 


XXII 

PEOBLEM    OF   BIBLE    STUDY 

While  the  literary  form  of  the  Bible  is  important,  and 
while  a  true  method  of  interpretation  cannot  be  easily 
overestimated,  these  of  themselves  will  be  of  little  or  no 
value  to  a  man  who  does  not  study  the  Bible.  I  do  not 
mean  the  man  who  does  not  read  the  Bible.  There  are 
those  who  make  a  habit  of  reading  some  portion  of  the 
Bible  every  day.  This  is  certainly  all  right  as  far  as  it 
goes.  It  may  be  both  a  delightful  and  instructive  habit. 
But  who  does  not  meditate  upon  the  law  of  the  Lord  day 
and  night,  as  the  Psalmist  did,  will  probably  never  realise 
what  he  meant  when  he  says  that  it  was  as  "  sweet  as 
honey  in  the  honeycomb  "  to  him. 

My  own  experience  and  observation  lead  me  to  say  that 
there  are  very  few  earnest,  honest,  and  persistent  students 
of  the  Word  of  God.  Probably  there  are  not  a  few  min- 
isters of  the  Gospel  who  study  portions  of  the  Word  with 
considerable  diligence  and  thoroughness;  but  it  is  much 
to  be  feared  that  a  majority  of  ministers  study  only  those 
portions  of  Scripture  which  seem  to  be  most  necessary  in 
the  preparation  of  their  sermons.  As  for  the  man  in  the 
streets,  or  even  the  regular  attendant  at  the  church  serv- 
ices, it  is  probably  true  of  him  that  he  does  not  study  the 
Word  of  God  at  all.  The  problem  which  will  at  once  con- 
front the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  is  how  to  make 
his  ministry  stimulate  his  hearers  to  study  the  Bible.  Per- 
haps it  is  well  enough  for  some  ministers  to  keep  their 
hearers  in  ignorance  of  the  Bible;  for  they  certainly  show 

344 


OF   BIBLE   STUDY  245 

themselves  to  have  no  profound  knowledge  of  its  teaching. 
Nevertheless  the  intelligent,  thoughtful,  conscientious 
minister  will  know  very  soon  that  the  success  of  his  ser- 
mons will  depend  largely  upon  the  knowledge  which  his 
hearers  have  of  the  Word  of  God. 

I  have  already  intimated  that  expository  preaching  is 
the  best  kind  if  this  is  done  as  it  should  be.  Nothing  can 
take  the  place  of  the  Bible  in  the  pulpit.  It  must  have 
supremacy  there.  Other  books  may  occupy  even  supreme 
prominence  in  other  places;  but  the  pulpit  is  the  special 
home  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  unless  every  utterance  of 
the  preacher  is  supported  by  that  word  his  pulpit  ministra- 
tions will  in  the  end  amount  to  little  or  nothing. 

It  is  easy  to  make  suggestions  as  to  how  Bible  study 
may  be  stimulated,  but  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  make 
these  suggestions  practical  in  the  preacher's  public  minis- 
trations. I  do  not  rely  upon  the  Sunday  school  for  the 
biblical  education  of  even  the  young.  In  the  proper  place 
I  will  give  my  reasons  for  reaching  this  conclusion.  At 
present  I  wish  to  say  that  I  am  certain  the  preacher  must 
be  mainly  the  centre  of  influence  which  will  tend  to  bib- 
lical study.  First  of  all  he  must  himself  be  a  student  of 
the  Bible.  Like  begets  like.  Whoever  shows  himself  to 
be  a  master  in  properly  dividing  the  Word  of  God  will 
stimulate  others  in  the  same  direction. 

But  something  can  be  done  through  organisation.  I 
have  a  poor  opinion  of  a  preacher  who  relies  exclusively 
on  his  two  sermons  each  Lord's  Day  for  the  feeding  of  his 
flock,  and  leading  them  into  pastures  high  up  on  the  spir- 
itual mountainsides.  This  work  must  receive  considerable 
attention  during  the  week.  The  prayer  meeting  should  not 
be  made  a  sort  of  scapegoat  for  this  particular  service. 
It  has  a  special  function  all  its  own  which  will  be  clearly 
seen  when  the  prayer  meeting  is  under  consideration.    The 


246  PREACHER   PROBLEMS^ 

preacher  should  have  a  weekday  Bible  class,  or  it  may 
be  two  or  three  Bible  classes  during  the  week.  He  must 
consult  the  convenience  of  those  who  wish  to  attend,  and 
must  adapt  himself  as  far  as  possible  to  their  circum- 
stances. But  he  must  not  let  anything  hinder  the  regular- 
ity of  his  weekly  meetings  for  the  study  of  God's  Word. 
Perhaps  he  may  say  that  such  meetings  cannot  be  made  a 
success,  that  he  cannot  secure  anything  like  a  reasonable 
attendance.  Now  this  is  quite  possible  in  the  case  of 
some  preachers.  But  where  this  is  the  case  it  ought  to 
be  a  sign  to  such  preachers  that  they  have  mistaken  their 
calling,  and  as  a  consequence  they  ought  surely  to  seek 
some  other  vocation  without  delay.  A  man  had  better 
peck  rock  on  a  turnpike  than  to  try  to  make  a  successful 
ministry  who  has  no  ability  to  make  the  study  of  the  Word 
of  God  the  most  fascinating  and  attractive  study  within 
the  whole  range  of  human  investigation. 

Of  course,  if  the  preacher  ought  to  be  in  a  Bible  class 
himself  it  is  probable  he  will  not  be  able  to  gather  many 
together  or  hold  them  for  any  length  of  time  in  the  study 
of  God's  Word.  But  if  the  preacher  is  himself,  first  of 
all,  a  profound  and  conscientious  student  of  that  Word, 
and  has  the  ability  to  use  that  Word  for  the  edification  of 
others,  there  will  be  little  difficulty  in  securing  an  audience 
of  reasonable  size  on  nearly  any  week  evening,  if  the 
preacher  has  enthusiasm  enough  behind  his  purpose  to 
carry  it  forward  with  energy. 

Of  course  nothing  can  be  done  without  faith.  And  yet 
all  things  are  possible  to  those  who  believe.  Whoever 
forms  a  Bible  class  as  an  experiment  will  probably  soon 
have  to  witness  his  experiment  fall  to  pieces.  But  whoever 
is  competent  and  forms  a  Bible  class  on  faith,  will  soon 
find  that  faith,  in  this  respect  also,  is  equal  to  overcoming 
the  world. 


OF  BIBLE   STUDY  247 

The  Bible  cannot  be  studied  properly  through  the  or- 
dinary pulpit  discourses.  Certain  phases  of  Bible  truth 
can  be  made  effective  in  this  way  better  than  in  any  other 
way.  But  there  are  other  phases,  and  some  of  these  among 
the  most  important  phases  of  biblical  truth,  which  cannot 
be  effectually  treated  except  in  a  Bible  class,  organised 
specially  for  biblical  study.  In  such  a  class  we  can  use 
all  the  side  lights,  helps,  and,  what  is  still  better,  the  con- 
tact of  different  minds,  speaking  with  respect  to  the  same 
thing;  for  the  Bible  class  ought  to  be  open  to  the  freest 
discussion  by  any  or  all  its  members,  though  this  freedom 
should  be  limited  within  reasonable  bounds,  and  this  can 
generally  be  done  by  the  preacher,  who  should  always  con- 
duct the  class. 

This  work  will  lay  a  burden  on  the  preacher  which  will 
not  be  easy  to  bear  if  he  is  inclined  to  idleness.  But  even 
the  preacher  who  does  not  like  a  burden  will  probably 
enjoy  this  one  when  he  once  gets  fairly  under  it.  Jesus 
said  his  yoke  was  easy  and  his  burden  was  light.  A  yoke 
can  never  be  easy  until  we  get  squarely  under  it.  A  pair 
of  oxen  cannot  pull  a  heavy  load  unless  the  yoke  fits  squarely 
on  the  neck  and  the  oxen  are  fairly  under  it.  This  burden 
of  a  Bible  class,  for  at  least  one  night  in  every  week,  will 
become  a  pleasure  after  a  while,  if  not  at  first,  to  the  honest, 
faithful,  studious  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  He  will  find 
that  the  class  will  be  of  more  service  to  himself  than  to 
any  one  else.  It  will  help  him  with  material  for  his  ser- 
mons ;  it  will  enlarge  his  spiritual  vision ;  it  will  give  him 
strength  for  the  conflict  of  life ;  it  will  increase,  stimulate, 
and  energise  all  the  elements  of  his  spiritual  manhood. 
But  the  influence  of  such  a  class  upon  the  people  whom  he 
serves  will  be  of  incalculable  benefit,  and  therefore  will  be 
worth  vastly  more  than  all  the  personal  sacrifices  that  have 
to  be  made  by  either  preacher  or  people.    Doubtless  some 


K48  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

sacrifices  will  have  to  be  made  by  both  preacher  and  people, 
but  this  is  exactly  the  road  which  leads  to  the  mount  of 
blessing.  We  cannot  hope  for  any  blessing  until  we  have 
passed  the  station  of  self-denial.  This  is  the  first  thing 
that  Christ  requires  of  us  in  order  that  we  may  be  truly 
his  disciples.  Indeed,  we  cannot  follow  after  Him  until 
we  have  fought  out  the  battle  with  self  and  gained  a 
victory. 

Doubtless  those  who  attend  the  Bible  classes  will  have 
to  give  up  some  pleasure  or  pastime  that  would  probably 
take  the  place  of  the  Bible  class.  But  these  pleasures  and 
pastimes  are  usually  enervating  and  do  not  contribute  to 
the  growth  of  the  spiritual  man.  The  first  business  of 
every  Christian  should  be  to  grow  in  grace  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  I  say  the  first  "business''  ad- 
visedly. From  a  practical  point  of  view  Christianity  is 
eminently  a  business.  Its  objective  work  should  be  largely 
considered  from  the  economic  point  of  view.  What  pays 
best  ?  "  What  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole 
world  and  lose  his  own  soul?"  We  cannot  ignore  the 
question  of  profit  and  loss  when  we  are  considering  the 
practical  details  of  the  Christian  life.  In  fact  the  economic 
point  of  view  has  come  to  be  of  great  value  in  estimating 
the  worth  of  Christianity  to  the  world.  The  ruling  passion 
of  most  men  is  money-getting,  and  while  this,  in  itself, 
may  become  a  debasing  passion,  nevertheless  it  furnishes 
an  incentive  and  illustration  of  what  may  be  accomplished 
in  developing  spiritual  manhood  and  womanhood.  It  is 
readily  conceded  that  in  our  churches  there  are  very  many 
sleepy,  go-easy,  do-nothing  Christians  who  are  never 
moved  to  any  real  activity  unless  there  is  something  pro- 
posed in  church  life  which  is  practically  abnormal,  and 
should  therefore  be  regarded  as  unlawful  rather  than  en- 
couraged as  a  helpful  means  in  developing  the  Christian 
character.    But  this  ought  not  to  be  the  case,  and  a  Bible 


OF   BIBLE   STUDY  249 

class,  properly  conducted,  will  generally  be  a  great  help  in 
correcting  abnormal  uses  of  energy  by  turning  activity  into 
legitimate  and  useful  channels. 

But,  however  this  may  be,  it  is  absolutely  certain  that 
a  church  cannot  possibly  grow  where  Bible  study  is  neg- 
lected. We  had  just  as  well  hope  for  the  physical  to  grow 
without  its  proper  nutriment  as  for  the  spiritual  to  grow 
without  the  study  of  the  Bible.  Consequently  the  preacher 
must,  in  some  way,  provide  for  this  study,  if  he  has  the 
slightest  hope  of  making  his  ministry  a  decided  success. 

This  is  especially  true  of  the  twentieth  century  preacher. 
The  Bible  just  now  is  attracting  more  attention  than  it 
ever  has  done  in  the  history  of  the  world.  Much  of  this 
attention  is  perhaps  not  healthy,  simply  because  the  con- 
tents of  the  Bible  are  not  really  studied,  while  its  origin, 
literary  form,  and  historical  accuracy  receive  the  chief 
consideration.  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  the 
greatest  miracle  about  the  Bible  is  its  wonderful  spiritual 
teaching.  No  other  book  is  like  it  in  this  respect.  Every 
sentence  in  it  contains  a  message  to  the  spiritual  man, 
and  in  this  very  fact  must  be  found  the  Bible's  chief 
value.  Herein  is  the  most  important  reason  for  urging 
us  to  its  earnest  and  prayerful  study.  Indeed,  this 
earnest  and  prayerful  study  of  the  Bible  is  after  all 
the  most  effective  means  of  overcoming  the  scepticism  of 
the  times.  While  recent  discussions  of  the  "  higher  critics  " 
may  have  cleared  the  way  for  a  more  intelligent  study  of 
the  Bible,  especially  by  some  who  have  been  unable  to 
accept  traditional  views  as  to  the  origin  and  character  of 
the  Bible,  at  the  same  time  it  is  my  firm  conviction  that 
the  surest  way  to  accept  and  honour  the  Word  of  God  is 
to  have  that  Word  dwell  in  us  richly,  and  this  cannot  be 
effected  without  earnest  and  prayerful  study  of  the  con- 
tents of  the  Bible,  especially  with  respect  to  the  bearing 
of  these  contents  upon  human  conduct. 


XXIII 

PROBLEM    OF    ORGANISATION 

It  would  neither  be  profitable  nor  interesting  to  enter 
upon  a  discussion  of  church  organisation  from  the  stand- 
point of  ecclesiastical  history.  The  churches  of  the  twen- 
tieth century  will  probably  not  give  much  attention  to  the 
old  controversies  which  have  so  often  split  the  church  in 
twain.  Indeed,  it  may  be  said  with  truth  that  the  dividing 
line  in  nearly  all  the  schisms  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
church,  during  its  existence,  have  originated,  or  else  have 
been  consummated,  on  account  of  differences  with  respect 
to  church  organisation.  This  being  a  fact  which  cannot 
be  successfully  controverted,  it  is  certainly  a  very  suggest- 
ive fact,  and  ought  to  have  great  influence  upon  the  Chris- 
tians of  the  present  day.  It,  therefore,  becomes  us  to  look 
at  this  whole  subject  from  the  point  of  view  of  a  new 
departure  at  the  beginning  of  this  new  century.  We  surely 
do  not  wish  to  go  on  repeating  the  follies  of  the  past.  We 
should,  therefore,  in  the  light  of  modern  thinking,  and 
modern  development,  seek  for  an  irenicon  which  will  do 
away  with  the  endless  jargon  concerning  "  Historic  Epis- 
copacy," the  "  Credal  Presbytery,"  and  the  "  Congrega- 
tional Conference." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  no  hard  and  fast  lines 
taught  in  the  New  Testament  concerning  church  organisa- 
tion. It  is  worth  while  to  mention  that  the  word  organ- 
isation is  not  in  the  Bible  at  all.  However,  this  is  not 
conclusive  against  even  the  modern  use  of  this  term,  though 
it  ought  to  be  suggestive  of  caution  against  its  illegitimate 

250 


OF   ORGANISATION  251 

use.  Undoubtedly  the  church,  as  a  great  ecclesiastical 
organisation,  is  known  only  in  history  since  the  apostolic 
days.  The  very  names  by  which  the  primitive  Christians 
were  called  are  clearly  indicative  of  great  simplicity  in 
all  that  relates  to  organisation.  The  phrase  "  Children  of 
God,''  suggests  a  family,  and  this  is  perhaps  the  dominant 
idea  of  the  earliest  organisation.  Certainly  the  notion  of 
a  number  of  churches,  governed  by  a  single  bishop,  is  no- 
where even  hinted  at  in  apostolic  times.  There  were 
bishops  over  one  church,  but  nowhere  one  over  several 
churches.  The  departure  from  this  primitive  simplicity 
has  not  only  produced  divisions  among  the  people  of  God, 
but  has  practically  made  Christian  union  impossible,  be- 
cause of  the  contentions  which  underlie  these  divisions. 
Christian  union  will  never  be  an  assured  fact  until  Chris- 
tians shall  come  to  understand  that  whatever  little  church 
organisation  may  be  suggested  in  the  New  Testament  is 
even  there  without  very  definite  outline,  and  is  therefore 
susceptible  of  considerable  variety  without  in  the  slightest 
degree  infringing  upon  the  church's  constitution. 

Organisation  for  work  may  be  very  important,  and  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  this  may  be  even  necessary ;  but  this  should 
always  be  regarded  as  an  expedient  and  not  as  a  divinely 
inspired  thing  in  all  its  details.  Much  has  been  left  to  the 
practical  common  sense  of  Christians,  as  well  as  the  condi- 
tions of  their  environment,  as  to  many  things  involved  in 
the  question  of  organisation ;  and  the  preacher  of  the  twen- 
tieth century  will  show  his  fitness  for  his  work  in  nothing 
more  decidedly  than  when  he  is  capable  of  managing  this 
subject  of  organisation  for  the  best  interests  of  his  people. 
In  no  case  must  he  make  an  extra-Scriptural  view  of  the 
subject  a  sine  qua  non  in  his  ministerial  work.  Speaking 
broadly,  he  may  safely  let  the  subject  of  organisation,  in 
many  respects,  simply  take  care  of  itself,  though  he  must 


252  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

be  careful  to  effect  such  cooperation  in  his  church,  and  also 
his  church  with  other  churches,  as  may  be  necessary  for 
effective  and  useful  work.  Beyond  this  he  need  not  go, 
although  he  may  be  goaded  on  to  do  so  by  sticklers  for 
apostolic  practice  (though  the  practice  is  nowhere  re- 
corded) and  certain  ecclesiastical  terms  which  have  little 
significance  in  our  modern  use  of  them.  He  may  also 
sometimes  find  it  necessary  to  antagonise  a  spirit  of  an- 
archy which  would  make  the  church  a  simple  echo  of 
individualism  without  any  cohesive  or  cooperative  features 
whatever.  Both  of  these  extremes  must  be  avoided,  and 
a  preacher  can  usually  succeed  in  bringing  about  the  right 
state  of  things  if  he  acts  his  part  wisely  and  well. 

Undoubtedly  the  church  organisation  found  in  the  New 
Testament  is  not  exactly  in  harmony  with  the  organisation 
of  modern  times.  It  is  probably  safe  to  say  that  the  New 
Testament  churches  were  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  and 
Congregational,  rather  than  one  of  these  to  the  exclusion 
of  the  others.  A  careful  examination  of  relevant  New 
Testament  texts  will  show  that  the  New  Testament  Ushop 
is  the  same  official  as  the  New  Testament  elder  or  pres' 
hyter,  and  consequently  there  need  be  no  quarrel  between 
Episcopalians  and  Presb3^terians  as  to  the  matter  of  church 
organisation ;  for  if  they  are  both  willing  to  be  governed  by 
New  Testament  precept  and  example,  then  it  is  evident 
that  they  are  both  contending  for  practically  the  same 
thing.  It  is  also  true  that  the  New  Testament  churches 
were  all  Congregational  in  their  government,  though  their 
overseers  were  called  bishops  or  presbyters.  Undoubtedly 
every  important  matter  was  submitted  to  the  whole  con- 
gregation or  church  for  final  decision,  though  for  the  sake 
of  good  order  these  matters  were  probably  generally  con- 
sidered first  of  all  by  the  officers  to  whom  the  matters 
specifically  belonged. 

But  the  twentieth  century  preacher  need  not  trouble 


OF  ORGANISATION  ^53 

himself  very  much  about  the  controversies  which  have 
raged  along  the  lines  of  church  organisation.  Whatever 
organisation  his  particular  church  may  regard  as  Scrip- 
tural, he  himself  will  find  the  oflBcers  of  great  value  to  him 
if  he  uses  them  wisely  and  well.  As  a  rule,  nothing  should 
be  brought  before  the  church  itself  until  it  has  been 
thoroughly  canvassed  in  a  meeting  of  the  official  board, 
for  if  the  pastor  should  be  unable  to  convince  this  board 
with  respect  to  any  plan  he  has  to  propose,  he  may  take  it 
for  granted  that  he  ought  not  to  try  to  convince  the  church 
itself  since  it  is  highly  probable  that  his  officers  will 
usually  decide  such  matters  in  the  best  interests  of  the 
work  which  is  under  consideration.  In  short,  the  pastor 
should  always  be  able  to  succeed  in  winning  to  his  support 
the  officers  of  his  church  before  he  takes  any  measure  to 
the  church  for  its  final  decision. 

Beyond  this  practical  point,  the  subject  of  organisation 
need  not  concern  the  wise  pastor,  and  he  ought  not  to 
attempt  to  go  any  further  than  this;  nor  is  it  necessary 
that  I  should  say  more  with  respect  to  the  matter,  for  little 
more  can  be  said  with  profit  without  going  into  the  whole 
question  of  church  organisation,  and  this  would  require 
not  only  the  consideration  of  all  Scripture  passages  bear- 
ing on  the  subject,  but  would  involve  also  a  careful  review 
of  ecclesiastical  history.  This  much  does  not  come  within 
the  sphere  of  our  present  discussion,  since  these  lectures 
are  intended  mainly  to  help  the  preacher  in  his  worlc  rather 
than  to  settle  difficult  questions  which  have  long  occupied 
the  attention  of  ecclesiastical  politicians.  Usually,  if  a 
church  "  has  a  mind  to  work,"  it  will  find  some  way  to  do 
that  work,  and  as  organisation  is  only  a  method  by  which 
work  is  done,  it  certainly  ought  not  to  have  the  force  of  a 
principle,  except  so  far  as  it  is  definitely  provided  in  the 
New  Testament  scheme  of  the  church. 


XXIV 

CTHE  PROBLEM  OF  PROBLEMS,  or  HOW  TO  HAR- 
MONISE christiajStity  with  the  reason- 
able DEMANDS  OF  THE  PRESENT  AGE 

[The  Christian  religion  makes  no  unreasonable  demands. 
It  seeks  the  best  interests  of  the  race,  and  offers  to  help 
rather  than  retard  human  progress.  It  holds  in  one  hand 
the  sword,  and  in  the  other  the  olive  branch  of  peace.  It 
aims  at  the  overthrow  of  evil  in  all  its  forms,  and  from  this 
point  of  view  it  uses  the  sword  with  relentless  energy,  but 
at  the  same  time  it  invites  to  the  realisation  of  a  glorious 
day  when  we  "  Shall  go  out  with  joy,  and  be  led  forth 
with  peace;  the  mountains  and  the  hills  shall  break  forth 
into  singing,  and  all  the  trees  of  the  fields  shall  clap  their 
hands.  Instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir  tree, 
and  instead  of  the  briar  shall  come  up  the  myrtle  tree; 
and  it  shall  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  name,  for  an  everlasting 
sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." 

But  this  day  has  not  come  yet.  It  is  still  an  ideal,  and 
with  many  diflBculties  in  the  way  of  its  final  realisation; 
for  if  we  accept  the  Word  of  God  as  a  sufficient  rule  of 
faith  and  practice,  it  is  abundantly  evident  that  the  present 
state  of  religious  society  is  abnormal.  No  honest,  well- 
informed  person  would  for  a  moment  contend  that  the 
denominationalism  of  to-day  fairly  represents  the  Primi- 
tive Church.  Among  intelligent,  earnest  people  there  is 
everywhere  manifest  a  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  with  the 
present  order  of  things.  Many,  indeed,  are  seeking  for  a 
remedy,  and  would  gladly  accept  of  any  solution  that  gives 

254 


THE   PROBLEM    OF    PROBLEMS         255 

reasonable  promise  of  unity  among  the  children  of  God, 
and  a  speedy  conversion  of  the  world. 

In  proposing  such  a  remedy,  two  extremes  must  be  care- 
fully avoided.  First :  In  breaking  away  from  sectarianism 
we  must  not  run  into  latitudinarianism.  This  has  been  the 
fatal  mistake  of  some  very  intellectual  and  cultivated 
people.  Their  own  culture  is  quite  too  broad  for  the  nar- 
row shibboleths  of  religious  partyism,  and  failing  to  dis- 
tinguish between  Christianity  proper  and  the  modem 
representations  of  it,  they  continue  their  rebound  from 
the  dogmatism  of  human  creeds  to  what  is  practical  infi- 
delity. This  is  greatly  to  be  regretted,  not  only  on  their 
own  account,  but  also  because  of  the  efficient  aid  which 
they  are  capable  of  rendering  the  cause  of  Christ.  Are  they 
wholly  responsible  for  the  position  which  they  at  present 
occupy?  I  certainly  do  not  wish  to  lessen  their  responsi- 
bility in  the  smallest  degree,  but  I  cannot  help  feeling  that 
many  of  those  who  condemn  them  most  are  not  entirely 
without  blame  in  the  matter.  Let  those  who  profess  to  be 
Christians  bring  their  faith  and  practice  into  harmony 
with  the  Divine  standard,  and  then  they  will  at  least  be 
in  a  position  to  consistently  find  fault  with  those  who  are 
now  driven  from  the  communion  of  the  various  denomina- 
tions by  the  interposition  of  the  "  traditions  of  the  Fathers." 

But  the  second  point  to  be  guarded  is  equally  important. 
While  we  carefully  avoid  the  humanisms  of  the  denomina- 
tional creeds,  we  must  be  equally  careful  not  to  make  an 
iron  bedstead  of  the  Bible.  The  Lord  never  intended  His 
Holy  Word  to  be  used  in  any  such  way.  Especially  is  the 
New  Testament  far  removed  from  such  a  notion.  That  it 
is  an  infallible  guide  to  all  who  accept  of  Him  who  is  the 
life  and  light  of  it,  I  do  not  for  one  moment  question.  But 
is  it  not  possible  to  claim  the  Bible  as  our  rule  of  faith 
and  practice,  and  yet  become  as  intensely  sectarian  as  those 


256  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

who  formulate  their  faith  in  human  symbols?  My  own 
observation  leads  me  to  conclude  that  some  who  claim  to 
be  the  earnest  advocates  of  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone, 
are  the  most  intensely  sectarian  in  fact,  intolerant  in 
spirit,  and  unfruitful  in  living  of  all  who  represent  the 
present  divided  state  of  Christendom.  Surely  this  ought 
not  to  be  so,  but  it  certainly  is  so.  And  this  brings  us 
to  state  more  distinctly  our  own  position. 

The  problem  we  are  seeking  to  solve  may  be  stated  as 
follows:  Is  it  possible  in  our  Christian  life  to  be  true  to 
the  Divine  Word  and  at  the  same  time  free  enough  for 
every  worthy  aspiration  of  every  human  soul?  In  other 
words,  can  we  earnestly  advocate  strict  fidelity  to  God's 
Holy  Truth,  and  at  the  same  time  meet  the  reasonable 
desires  of  those  who  are  to-day  driven  to  latitudinarianism 
or  rationalism  by  the  human  dogmas  which  have  been 
erected  into  tests  of  fellowship?  This  is  the  problem  of 
problems.  And  yet,  in  my  judgment,  this  problem  must 
be  solved  if  the  world  is  ever  converted  to  Christ.  When  it 
is  solved  both  sectarianism  and  infidelity  will  be  shorn  of 
their  strength,  and  consequently  the  future  triumphs  of 
the  Gospel  will  be  commensurate  with  our  most  ardent  ex- 
pectations. 

Is  it  possible,  then,  for  us  to  be  true  to  the  Bible,  and  at 
the  same  time  free  from  sectarianism?  And  can  we  meet 
the  reasonable  demands  of  the  highest  culture,  and  still 
avoid  the  extreme  of  latitudinarianism?  I  answer  both 
of  these  questions  in  the  affirmative,  and  feel  sure  that,  if 
the  Christianity  of  the  New  Testament  is  once  properly 
apprehended,  no  one  need  have  any  difficulty  in  agreeing 
with  me  in  what  may  at  first  seem  an  impracticable  posi- 
tion. 

Faith  and  obedience  are  the  two  words  which  compre- 
hend the  whole  of  Christian  obligation  and  duty.    Concern- 


THE   PROBLEM   OF   PROBLEMS         257 

ing  this  statement  there  would,  perhaps,  be  no  difference 
of  opinion  among  those  who  are  at  all  competent  to  judge. 
Our  differences  begin  only  when  we  begin  to  define  these 
terms.  What  is  faith?  and  what  is  obedience?  Or  what 
is  properly  and  S crip tur ally  embraced  within  these  terms? 
Let  us  ask  the  question :  What  is  necessary  to  be  believed 
in  order  that  we  may  have  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  ?  Surely 
not  everything  in  the  Bible;  even  not  everything  in  the 
New  Testament — though  this  latter  is  specially  the  Chris- 
tian's rule  of  faith  and  practice,  for  it  is  possible  for  some 
to  be  saved  who  have  never  read  the  New  Testament 
through,  indeed,  may  not  have  read  it  at  all.  Evidently 
there  has  been  much  confusion  in  the  public  mind  at  this 
point,  and  this  confusion,  I  think,  has  chiefly  come  from 
a  failure  to  distinguish  between  faith  and  knowledge.  Un- 
questionably it  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  seek  to 
attain  all  the  knowledge  he  possibly  can  acquire,  and  still 
this  knowledge  should  never  be  allowed  to  usurp  the  proper 
place  of  faith,  for  no  two  things  are  more  distinctly  differ- 
ent than  faith  and  knowledge.  Both  are  important,  but 
for  very  different  reasons.  Faith  is  essential  to  spiritual 
life,  knowledge  is  essential  to  spiritual  growth.  One  unites 
to  Christ,  the  other  develops  in  Him;  one  is  vital  in  the 
formation  of  Christian  character,  the  other  is  essential  to 
the  development  and  enjoyment  of  the  character  already 
formed.  But  this  view  of  the  matter  is  often  practically 
rejected.  The  things  that  belong  to  knowledge  are  crowded 
into  Confessions  of  Faith,  and  these  formulated  human 
statements  are  made  the  tests  of  Christian  fellowship,  in- 
stead of  that  character  which  must  always  come  before  we 
even  enter  the  sphere  of  knowledge.  Hence,  knowledge  has 
become  the  standard  of  orthodoxy,  rather  than  the  simple 
faith  of  the  Gospel.  A  failure  to  know  as  much  as  your 
religious  neighbour  is  often  fatal,  in  his  estimation,  to  your 


258  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

religious  character,  even  though  his  faith  should  fully  com- 
prehend everything  that  is  required  in  the  Word  of  God. 

What  is  the  faith  necessary  to  the  formation  of  Christian 
character?  Without  referring  to  the  proof  texts — though 
plenty  of  these  are  ready  to  hand — it  will  be  sufficient  to  say 
that  the  Apostles  preached  only  one  thing,  viz.,  that  "  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  This  proposition, 
though  variously  stated,  was  everywhere  presented  as  con- 
taining, so  far  as  faith  goes,  all  that  was  essential  to  Chris- 
tian character;  and  this  was  not  only  everywhere  preached, 
but  this  was  what  was  everywhere  believed  by  those  who 
entered  upon  the  Christian  life. 

Now,  if  we  limit  our  Articles  of  Faith  to  this  grand 
proposition,  are  we  not  still  true  to  the  teaching  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  ?  And  can  we  add  anything  to  this  while 
we  confine  ourselves  to  the  things  that  legitimately  belong 
to  faith  ?  Our  position  is  that  we  should  insist  upon  noth- 
ing as  an  article  of  faith  that  is  not  essential  to  Christian 
character;  and  as.  (according  to  the  Scriptures)  the  only 
faith  required  to  this  end  is  a  hearty  trust  in  the  Personal 
Redeemer,  we  at  once  reject  all  human  creeds  and  insist 
upon  the  divine  creed  as  the  only  foundation  of  the  Chris- 
tian's faith. 

Some  of  my  objections  to  human  symbols  may  be  briefly 
stated  as  follows: 

1.  They  substitute  philosophical  speculations  for  the 
Personal  Christ,  thereby  usurping  the  sphere  of  faith  with 
the  things  that  belong  to  knowledge. 

2.  They  are  without  any  divine  sanction,  and  conse- 
quently should  not  be  made  tests  of  Christian  fellowship. 
We  should  certainly  have  a  "thus  saith  the  Lord"  for 
everything  that  enters  into  the  question  of  fellowship. 

3.  They  are  schismatical  in  their  tendency.  The  history 
of  the  church  is  a  sad  commentary  on  the  influence  of 


THE   PROBLEM    OF    PROBLEMS         259 

human  dogmas  upon  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  children 
of  God. 

4.  No  human  creed  can  be  perfect.  Hence  even  if  it 
were  right  to  formulate  the  things  of  knowledge  and  make 
them  objects  of  faith,  such  formulas  must  of  necessity  ex- 
hibit many  of  the  traces  of  human  weakness.  Men  are 
short-sighted  at  best,  and  it  ought  to  be  expected,  there- 
fore, that  their  most  careful  work  will  lack  the  complete- 
ness which  should  characterise  a  creed  of  the  church  of 
God. 

5.  No  human  creed  can  ever  be  adapted  to  every  creature. 
The  infinite  mind  can  alone  provide  that  which  is  suitable 
to  such  an  infinite  variety  of  circumstances  and  conditions 
as  is  everywhere  found  among  men.  The  best  that  any 
number  of  men  can  do  is  to  provide  for  those  who  are  of 
like  tastes,  habits,  etc.,  and  in  like  circumstances  with 
themselves.  They  cannot  reasonably  hope  to  take  into 
consideration  the  whole  sphere  of  human  thought  and  ac- 
tion; consequently  the  most  perfect  human  creed  possible 
must,  after  all,  have  only  a  limited  application. 

6.  Human  creeds  are  not  only  limited  in  their  reach  and 
unsatisfactory  in  their  character,  but  they  are  not  per- 
manent. They  are  either  changing  or  else  passing  away 
entirely.  "  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day, 
and  forever." 

7.  God  has  given  to  the  church  a  creed — a  divine  creed 
— and  it  is  disrespectful  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  presump- 
tuous, and  wicked  to  substitute  anything  for  that  which 
divine  wisdom  has  prepared. 

Such  are  some  of  the  objections  that  may  be  urged 
against  human  creeds  as  bonds  of  union  and  communion 
among  the  followers  of  Christ.  And  I  think  that  this  in- 
dictment is  quite  sujBBcient  to  condemn  them  to  everlasting 
banishment  from  all  the  places  they  now  occupy. 


26o  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

I  think  I  have  now  made  it  evident  that,  so  far  as  faith 
is  concerned,  it  is  quite  possible  to  be  true  to  the  teaching 
of  the  Scriptures  and  at  the  same  time  entirely  free  from 
sectarianism.  In  fact,  I  think  my  position  is  not  only  true 
to  the  Word  of  God,  but  would,  if  generally  approved,  com- 
pletely overthrow  sectarianism  with  all  of  its  concomitant 
evil&j  and  thus  open  the  way  for  a  complete  restoration  of 
Primitive  Christianity  in  both  its  faith  and  practice. 

But  is  this  position  such  as  will  provide  for  the  reason- 
able demands  of  the  broadest  culture  without  reaching  the 
point  of  latitudinarianism  ?  If  so,  then  we  have  surely 
solved  the  religious  problem  of  the  present  age. 

Of  course  I  do  not  hope  to  present  what  will  meet  the 
unreasonable  demands  of  culture,  any  more  than  I  could 
provide  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  spirit  of  sectarianism. 
No  religious  position  that  can  be  taken  will  suit  either  of 
these.  Men  who  are  in  the  church  for  selfish  purposes,  or 
who  are  out  of  it  for  the  same  reason,  are  not  likely  to 
be  influenced  by  the  consideration  I  am  offering.  I  make 
a  broad  distinction  between  sectarianism  in  form  and  sec- 
tarianism in  spirit,  I  think  there  are  many  who  occupy  a 
sectarian  position  who  are  nevertheless  largely  free  from 
the  sectarian  spirit.  I  think  it  is  also  true  that  there  are 
many  highly  cultured  people  who  stand  to-day  practically 
opposed  to  Christianity  who  have  failed  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  Christianity  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  mod- 
ern representations  of  it.  They  have  been  driven  into 
apparent  infidelity  by  the  unreasonable  human  systems 
which  have  usurped  the  place  of  the  religion  established  by 
Christ  and  his  Apostles. 

Let  us  test  this  matter  for  a  moment.  How  many  so- 
called  infidels  of  the  present  time  really  reject  the  proposi- 
tion I  have  presented  as  the  Christian's  creed?  Doubtless 
there  are  some.    But  is  not  the  number  small  as  compared 


THE   PROBLEM   OF   PROBLEMS         261 

with  those  who  reject  the  various  human  symbols  which 
are  offered  as  bonds  of  fellowship?  And  would  not  even 
this  number  still  be  reduced  if  human  sjrmbols  were  all 
abandoned  and  the  Divine  Creed  everywhere  respected  as 
it  was  in  the  Primitive  Church?  I  feel  sure  that  to  ask 
these  questions  is  to  practically  answer  them.  No  one  who 
is  at  all  acquainted  with  the  present  state  of  religious 
controversy  will  question  the  possibility  of  satisfying  a 
large  portion  of  those  who  are  now  standing  outside  of  the 
churches  by  making  the  proposition  I  have  presented  the 
only  object  of  faith. 

But  there  is  still  another  question  of  prime  importance 
which  must  be  briefly  noticed.  Could  such  a  position  as  I 
have  presented  be  justly  chargeable  with  latitudinarian- 
ism?  I  am  conscious  that  some  will  think  so,  and  hence 
there  are  those  who  will  doubtless  wish  to  hedge  against 
this  tendency  with  human  definitions  and  explanations. 
But  just  here  is  the  precise  origin  of  human  creeds,  against 
which  I  have  presented  such  formidable  objections.  It  is 
perhaps  impossible  to  provide  against  all  difficulties,  no 
matter  what  course  we  may  pursue.  And  it  may  be  that 
some  would  accept  the  Divine  Creed  and  yet  practically 
hold  to  latitudinarian  views;  but  I  fail  to  see  how  human 
symbols  can  restrain  this  tendency.  As  a  matter  of  fact  we 
know  that  this  tendency  is  again  and  again  developed  in 
all  the  churches  of  Christendom,  notwithstanding  the  bar- 
riers that  have  been  erected  against  it.  It  might  occasion- 
ally show  itself  among  those  who  hold  simply  the  Divine 
Creed.  But  I  feel  sure  there  is  less  danger  of  this  when 
we  are  guided  by  divine  authority  than  when  our  safeguards 
are  the  definitions  of  human  creeds.  Hence  by  accepting 
the  Divine  Creed  we  not  only  reduce  the  tendency  of  heresy 
within  the  church,  but  we  largely  reduce  the  number  of 
heretics  outside  the  church  by  bringing  the  condition  of 


262  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

entrance  to  the  reasonable  requirements  of  apostolic  pre- 
cept and  example.* 

By  giving  earnest  attention  to  the  foregoing  considera- 
tions the  problem  of  Christian  union  is  evidently  brought 
within  the  sphere  of  the  practical.  This  of  itself  is  a  great 
problem,  too,  with  which  the  twentieth  century  preacher 
will  have  to  deal.  He  cannot  safely  ignore  its  demands. 
He  will  find  it  meeting  him  at  every  turn  in  his  ministry. 
Even  if  his  charge  is  in  the  country  he  will  find  the  prob- 
lem there,  and  if  he  is  in  the  city  it  will  probably  be  the 
most  imperious  problem  with  which  he  is  called  upon  to 
wrestle.  How  to  adjust  his  own  ministry  to  the  churches 
of  the  denominations  around  him  will  cause  him  sleepless 
nights,  if  he  is  concerned  with  the  peace  of  Zion  and  the 
progress  of  Christianity  in  the  world. 

But  this  problem  may  be  solved  by  observing  the  simple 
conditions  which  have  already  been  presented ;  and  it  may 
be  solved,  too,  in  such  a  way  as  will  not  antagonise  the 
reasonable  demands  of  the  present  age.  A  platform  that 
is  broad  enough  for  every  follower  of  Christ  to  stand  upon, 
and  at  the  same  time  narrow  enough  to  bring  it  within  the 
dimensions  of  the  prescribed  conditions  of  New  Testament 
fellowship  is  the  only  platform  that  promises  the  least  possi- 
ble hope  for  Christian  union.  But  with  such  a  platform  we 
can  reasonably  anticipate  a  not  far  distant  day  when  the 
jarrings  of  conflicting  sects  shall  practically  cease  and  when 
Christians  shall  everywhere  be  one  as  the  Father  and  Son 
are  one,  and  thus  make  it  evident  to  the  entire  world  that 
Christ  is  sent  of  the  Father. 

*  See  "The  Plea  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,"  by  Author, 
pp.  78-82. 


PART  III 

Problems  Growing  Out  of  Ways  and  Means; 

or,  How  to  Meet  the  Practical  Duties 

of  the  Preacher's  Position 


We  have  already  looked  at  the  practical  side  of  the  preach- 
er's position,  while  considering  his  personal  relations  to 
his  work;  but  there  are  some  distinctive  features  on  this 
side  which  need  to  have  very  careful  treatment,  since  they 
are  of  very  great  importance.  Several  problems  will  at 
once  confront  him  as  soon  as  he  enters  upon  his  work  at 
any  particular  place,  and  unless  he  is  able  to  solve  these 
problems  in  a  somewhat  satisfactory  manner,  all  of  his 
prior  preparation  and  experience  will  be  of  little  avail  in 
making  his  ministry  a  decided  success.  Among  these  prob- 
lems I  wish  to  call  special  attention  to  the  following: 


XXY 

THE  PKOBLEM  OF  TIME 

It  is  scarcely  needful  to  emphasise  the  value  of  time  as 
an  element  in  the  preacher's  preparation  for  his  work.  He 
certainly  has  no  license  to  squander  time.  He  ought  to  use 
every  moment  wisely  and  well,  for  it  is  out  of  these  mo- 
ments that  he  must  forge  his  success,  if  he  ever  has  any 
worthy  of  the  name. 

But  it  is  not  this  particular  feature  that  is  just  now 
involved  in  the  problem  of  time.  I  am  thinking  of  the 
numerous  services  which  are  usually  held  during  each  week, 
and  these  services  at  once  raise  the  question  as  to  how 
much  time  shall  be  allotted  each,  so  as  not  to  entrench  upon 
one  another.  But  a  matter  of  still  more  importance  is 
that  which  the  preacher  must  face  when  he  attempts  to 
attend  all  the  meetings  of  his  church,  as  well  as  the  meet- 
ings outside  of  his  church  which  have  special  reference  to 
his  work,  and  yet  have  plenty  of  time  to  study  and  prepare 
his  sermons  and  lectures  for  all  the  public  services  where 
he  must  deliver  these.  The  strain  upon  his  time  is  fre- 
quently very  heavy. 

He  must  attend  all  the  important  public  meetings  of  the 
church,  and  he  must  attend  also  weddings  and  funerals. 
As  to  social  functions,  he  may  or  may  not  attend  these. 
He  must  in  these  cases  be  governed  somewhat  by  the  char- 
acter of  the  functions,  and  by  the  amount  of  time  he  has 
at  his  disposal.  But  he  will  be  surprised  at  how  much  of 
his  time  is  consumed  by  those  things  which  seem  to  be 
imperative  in  their  demands  upon  his  attention,  and  he 

Q65 


2(^  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

will  find  that  it  will  be  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to 
economise  his  time  in  every  way  he  possibly  can  in  order 
to  meet  the  necessary  demands  which  are  made  upon  it. 
A  few  suggestions  just  here  may  be  helpful  to  both  the 
minister  and  his  people. 

(1)  His  people  must  not  be  unreasonable  with  respect 
to  the  requirements  they  make  of  their  minister.  They 
must  remember  that  he  is  human,  and  that  therefore  he 
cannot  do  everything  and  do  it  well.  He  ought  to  be  al- 
lowed a  very  considerable  margin  for  quiet  hours  when  he 
can  commune  with  God,  nature,  and  his  books.  A  failure 
to  allow  this  precious  opportunity  will  usually  cost  a 
church  vastly  more,  in  the  long  run,  than  any  gain  that 
possibly  could  come  to  it  through  unreasonable  demands 
upon  the  preacher's  time. 

(2)  A  proper  division  of  labour  will  help  very  much  to 
solve  the  problem  of  time.  The  preacher  ought  not  to  be 
expected  to  do  everything  that  needs  to  be  done.  It  will 
be  better  for  the  church,  as  well  as  for  the  preacher,  if 
very  many  things  that  are  frequently  required  of  him 
should  be  done  by  some  of  the  church  members.  He  cer- 
tainly ought  not  to  be  required  to  teach  a  class  in  the  Sun- 
day School,  especially  if  the  Sunday  School  is  held  just 
before  the  morning  service.  Indeed,  he  ought  not  to  be 
disturbed  in  his  study  during  the  whole  of  the  morning 
of  the  Lord's  Day,  except  where  such  disturbance  is  abso- 
lutely necessary. 

He  ought  not,  as  a  general  rule,  to  conduct  the  prayer 
meeting.  In  most  churches  there  are  members  well  quali- 
fied to  take  this  service,  and  they  should  be  required  to  do 
it,  so  as  to  relieve  the  pastor  from  all  care  with  respect  to 
the  matter.  He  should  attend  the  meeting  as  a  general 
rule,  though  he  should  be  relieved  from  all  responsibility  in 
conducting  the  service.    In  most  cases  it  will  be  well  for 


OF  TIME  267 

him  to  close  the  services  with  a  few  remarks  which  will 
generally  be  suggested  by  the  service  itself,  and  therefore 
need  not  require  special  preparation. 

(3)  The  course  I  have  suggested  will  be  helpful  to  the 
church  members  as  well  as  to  the  preacher.  Nothing  per- 
haps is  more  advantageous  to  the  growth  of  the  church 
than  to  bring  every  member  of  the  church,  so  far  as  it  is 
possible  to  do  so,  into  active  participation  in  some  part  of 
the  church's  work.  In  so  far  as  the  pastor  can  inspire  and 
provide  for  this  division  of  labour  he  will  contribute  in  the 
best  possible  manner  to  the  development  of  his  church  in 
all  that  relates  to  spiritual  advancement,  as  well  as  relieve 
himself  of  certain  burdens  which  necessarily  follow  upon 
unreasonable  demands  made  upon  the  time  and  strength 
which  are  at  his  disposal.  In  any  case  he  cannot  be  too 
careful  in  providing  means  by  which  he  may  bring  into 
active  exercise  every  member  of  his  church,  as  well  as  help 
him  to  economise  the  time  which  is  such  a  precious  element 
as  a  factor  in  his  great  work.  In  short,  he  should  never  do 
anything  himself  that  can  be  successfully  done  by  some 
member  or  members  of  his  church.  This  rule  should  be 
made  imperative,  and  should  have  a  prominent  place  es- 
pecially in  the  services  of  the  church  where  the  member- 
ship of  the  church  may  be  made  available  for  mutual 
edification,  as  well  as  for  saving  the  time  of  the  preacher, 
which  may  be  better  used  for  work  which  he  alone  can  do. 

Eecently  a  new  difficulty  has  arisen  with  respect  to  the 
matter  of  time.  There  is  a  growing  tendency  to  give  a 
special  Lord's  Day  for  every  worthy  enterprise  that  appeals 
to  the  benovelence  of  the  churches;  and  when  all  these 
enterprises  are  provided  for  there  is  frequently  very  little 
time  left  for  anything  else.  The  numerous  societies  and 
benevolent  organisations  are  imperious  in  their  demands 
for  recognition  at  especially  the  Lord's  Day  services,  and 


268  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

when  these  are  all  heard,  there  is  little  opportunity  left  for 
proper  attention  to  local  church  affairs,  and  there  is  often 
a  heavy  encroachment  made  upon  the  time  that  ought  to 
be  devoted  to  the  particular  work  of  the  local  congregation. 
Now,  let  no  one  misunderstand  me  at  this  point.  These 
calls  from  outside  societies  and  organisations  are  generally 
worthy  and  ought  to  have  a  hearing  in  all  the  churches. 
In  most  cases  the  plea  of  these  organisations  is  of  a  char- 
acter that  will  help  the  churches,  will  stimulate  their 
benovelence,  and  will  do  much  in  many  ways  to  strengthen 
the  homei  work.  Nevertheless,  I  am  profoundly  convinced 
that  there  ought  to  be  a  better  division  of  time  with  respect 
to  these  special  pleas  than  that  which  now  generally  pre- 
vails. The  following  suggestions  may  be  worth  careful 
consideration. 

(1)  Let  the  Lord's  Day  meetings  in  all  the  churches 
be  protected  from  any  outside  interference,  no  matter  how 
important  the  plea  may  be,  for  nothing  can  compensate  for 
loss  of  spiritual  fervour  which  ought  always  to  result  from 
a  well-conducted  Lord's  Day  service. 

(2)  If  these  pleas  must  be  made  on  the  Lord's  Day  let 
a  special  meeting  be  appointed  for  that  purpose,  either  in 
the  afternoon  or  at  night,  but  always  keep  the  Lord's  Day 
morning  service  free  from  anything  that  diverts  it  from 
its  main  purpose,  viz.,  the  edification  of  the  church  itself. 

(3)  In  most  cases  a  week-day  meeting  to  hear  these 
special  pleas,  in  the  long  run,  would  be  better  than  to 
crowd  them  in  the  Lord's  Day  meetings  where  at  most  very 
scant  attention  can  be  given  to  them.  Of  course,  I  do  not 
mean  that  the  pastor  of  the  church  may  not  occasionally 
preach  sermons  with  special  reference  to  these  pleas,  but 
even  when  he  does  this,  he  should  make  the  sermons  always 
contribute  largely  to  the  spiritual  growth  of  the  members, 
and  generally  a  wise  selection  of  the  subject  and  a  proper 


OF   TIME  269 

treatment  of  this  subject  will  be  productive  alike  of  help- 
fulness to  the  church,  as  well  as  to  the  plea  which  is  under 
consideration. 

However,  it  is  impossible  to  provide  definite  conditions 
for  all  cases.  Still,  it  is  believed  that  the  suggestions 
already  made  will  help  a  wise  pastor  to  deal  intelligently 
with  one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  which  he  will  be 
called  upon  to  solve.  Whatever  he  does  he  must  scrupu- 
lously guard  his  regular  services  from  anything  that  will 
weaken  their  effect  in  strengthening  the  faith,  developing 
the  spiritual  life,  and  stimulating  the  activity  of  the  church 
members.  Probably  it  will  be  difficult  for  him  to  make 
the  officers,  representing  these  outside  pleas,  believe  that 
he  is  not  selfish  when  he  refuses  to  allow  them  to  appro- 
priate the  whole  earth  as  regards  the  particular  matter  on 
their  hearts,  but  all  the  same  he  must  do  his  duty  to  his  own 
people,  whether  it  pleases  corresponding  secretaries  or  not. 
The  growth  of  his  own  church  will  often  be  the  measure 
of  the  growth  of  the  organisations  which  are  clamouring 
for  his  help.  If  the  home  churches  are  weakened  from  any 
cause  whatever,  this  weakness  must  ultimately  act  upon 
the  organisations  that  are  outside  and  dependent  upon  the 
help  which  must  come  from  the  churches. 


XXVI 

THE  PEOBLEM  OF  MEN 

Men  are  still  the  mystery  of  mysteries,  the  problem  of 
problems.  They  have  been  studied  ever  since  their  creation, 
and  yet  they  are  to-day  not  much  better  understood  than 
they  were  six  thousand  years  ago.  One  thing  we  can  say 
truthfully  about  them,  viz.,  they  do  not  always  illustrate 
the  unexpected.  We  are  beginning  to  know  with  almost 
absolute  certainty  just  what  they  will  do  under  certain 
given  circumstances.  We  know  that  they  are  like  musical 
instruments  in  an  orchestra;  they  will  render  the  sounds 
more  or  less  agreeable,  according  as  they  are  well  or  badly 
touched.  Carlyle  was  not  far  wrong  when  he  said,  "  Men 
are  the  miracle  of  miracles — the  great  inscrutable  mystery 
of  God.  We  cannot  understand  it,  we  know  not  how  to 
speak  of  it,  but  we  may  feel  and  know,  if  we  like,  that  it 
verily  is  so." 

Nothing  perhaps  characterises  men  more  distinctly  or 
more  emphatically  than  their  perversity  with  respect  to 
religious  matters.  It  will  scarcely  escape  the  notice  of 
those  who  come  in  contact  with  our  church  forces  that, 
comparatively  speaking,  few  men  seem  to  be  deeply  and 
earnestly  interested  in  religion.  The  most  active  forces 
as  well  as  the  most  numerous  forces  in  our  churches  are 
women.  This  fact  does  not  exist  because  men  are  naturally 
irreligious.  Their  very  constitution  forbids  this.  They 
are  religious  whether  they  wish  to  be  so  or  not.  To  use 
a  common  but  forcible  expression,  they  are  built  that  way. 
Men  may  wish  to  hide  this  predomiuant  characteristic  of 

270 


OF   MEN  271 

their  organisation,  but  in  doing  this  they  always  illustrate 
the  supremest  folly.  They  may  reject  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, they  may  even  oppose  it  with  all  the  vehemence  they 
can  control,  but  they  are  sure  to  manifest  their  religious 
nature  in  some  other  direction,  just  as  the  heathen  do  by 
worshipping  idols  when  they  do  not  know  the  true  God. 
Men  who  refuse  to  associate  themselves  actively  with  the 
Christian  forces  are  certain  to  worship  idols  of  some  kind, 
no  matter  how  these  idols  may  be  made  or  what  they  may 
represent.  No  man  can  get  away  from  religion  any  more 
than  he  can  get  away  from  himself.  It  is  a  part  of  his  be- 
ing, a  controlling  element  in  his  constitution,  and  he  is  only 
a  simpleton  when  he  attempts  to  ignore  this  fact  and  play 
a  part  which  contradicts  the  very  noblest  endowment  which 
he  possesses.  Why,  then,  is  it  that  men  do  not  throng  our 
churches?  Why  is  it  that  those  even  who  do  attend  are 
for  the  most  part  half  in  earnest  with  respect  to  the  wor- 
ship and  work  of  the  churches?  Of  course  it  will  be 
understood  that  there  are  many  noble  exceptions,  but  the 
general  statement  cannot  be  denied  that  the  majority  of 
even  churchgoers  among  men  are  by  no  means  enthusias- 
tic Christians. 

But  my  present  purpose  is  to  deal  with  those  who  do 
not  attend  religious  services  at  all.  This  is  the  problem 
which  will  at  once  confront  every  earnest  preacher  of  the 
Gospel  who  wishes  his  ministry  to  touch,  and  impress,  and 
lead  to  definite  action  all  the  members  of  his  community. 
He  will  find  a  large  per  cent,  of  men  who  are  practically 
indifferent  to  his  religious  services  and  seldom  if  ever  at- 
tend these  services. 

How  can  this  indifference  be  overcome?  Is  there  any 
excuse  for  it  in  our  methods  of  church  work?  Without 
apologising  for  this  indifference,  upon  the  part  of  any  of 
these  men  who  stay  away  from  the  churches,  it  is  certainly 


2^2  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

worth  while  to  inquire  as  to  the  real  cause  of  it.  May  it 
not  be  that  there  is  something  wrong  in  our  church  life 
or  in  our  church  services  that  helps  to  produce  this  state 
of  things ;  and  may  it  not  be  that  a  correction  of  our  faulty 
church  life  would  bring  about  a  reaction  in  the  case  of 
these  indifferent  men  in  favour  of  a  hearty  acceptance  of 
the  religion  of  Christ?  I  do  not  say  that  in  all  cases  the 
diflSculty  could  be  overcome.  Some  men  must  be  given  up 
to  a  hardness  of  heart  and  a  reprobacy  of  mind.  They  are 
practically  hopeless,  and  will  probably  never  become  active 
participants  in  any  outward  profession  of  religion.  There 
are  not  a  few  who  think  it  is  a  sign  of  intellectual  inde- 
pendence to  refuse  any  distinctive  cooperation  with  Chris- 
tian forces.  They  will  tell  you  that  religion  does  not 
consist  in  church  relationships,  that  it  is  simply  an  indi- 
vidual matter,  and  that  a  man  can  be  a  Christian  as  well 
out  of  the  church  as  in  it;  while  others  will  protest  against 
being  religious  at  all,  though  this  protest  is  a  proof  of 
practical  insanity,  for  if  it  be  true  that  the  undevout 
astronomer  is  mad,  it  is  equally  true  that  every  undevout 
man  must  be  mad  no  matter  whether  he  is  an  astronomer 
or  not.  He  cannot  explain  his  own  existence  or  his  own 
threefold  nature  of  body,  soul,  and  spirit  without  in  some 
way  recognising  the  need  for  a  religion  such  as  the  Chris- 
tian religion  undoubtedly  is,  when  it  is  fairly  represented 
in  the  Christian  life. 

However,  we  must  deal  with  the  facts  as  they  are.  Of 
course  it  is  interesting  to  indicate  what  they  ought  to  be, 
but  the  ougM  in  ethics  is  a  very  different  thing  from  the  is. 
Facts  are  stubborn  things,  and  one  of  these  stubborn  facts 
is  that  a  majority  of  men  in  almost  every  community  do 
not  attend  our  religious  services.  Now  what  must  be  done 
to  overcome  this  stubborn  fact  which  every  preacher  will 
have  to  deal  with,  no  matter  where  his  ministry  may  be 


OF   MEN  273 

located  ?  It  is  easy  to  propose  remedies  that  will  not  work, 
and  some  remedies  that  have  been  proposed  ought  not  to 
work,  for  the  reason  that  the  remedy  is  worse  than  the 
disease.  Some  cases  are  like  that  of  the  doctor  who  pre- 
scribed whisky  for  a  consumptive  patient.  He  afterwards 
said  the  patient  got  well  of  the  consumption  but  he  never 
got  well  of  the  whisky.  It  is  possible  to  propose  remedies 
for  the  evil  I  have  suggested  that  might  crowd  our  churches 
with  the  very  men  who  at  present  seldom  or  never  attend 
these  churches ;  but  it  is  possible  at  the  same  time  to  lower 
the  standard  of  Christian  doctrine  and  life  so  that  instead 
of  these  men  being  benefited  they  may  simply  be  sent  more 
rapidly  on  the  downward  road  which  leads  away  from  God. 
A  large  attendance  at  church  does  not  necessarily  indi- 
cate a  high  spiritual  standard  in  that  church.  Just  now 
it  is  the  fashion  to  reckon  spiritual  life  by  mathematics, 
and  consequently  we  add  up  the  contributions,  the  addi- 
tions, and  the  attendance  at  the  religious  services,  and  then 
draw  our  conclusions  as  to  the  success  or  failure  of  the 
ministry  where  these  figures  have  been  obtained.  But  this 
is  a  poor  way  to  test  the  spiritual  life  of  a  church.  All 
other  things  being  equal,  the  contributions,  the  additions, 
and  the  attendance  at  the  church  services  must  not  be 
despised.  These  are  important  in  their  right  places;  but 
they  may  exist  to  a  reasonable  extent  and  for  a  brief  period 
without  much  spiritual  life  behind  them;  and  yet  without 
this  spiritual  life  the  church  may  have  a  name  to  live  by 
but  will  be  practically  dead. 

Now  it  may  not  be  possible  to  suggest  anything  very 
definite  that  will  help  the  preacher  to  get  hold  of  the  indif- 
ferent men  of  his  community;  for  communities  differ. 
What  may  be  helpful  in  one  place  may  not  be  in  another, 
and  what  will  reach  one  man  will  sometimes  utterly  fail 
to  reach  another.    Nevertheless  there  is  a  common  ground 


274  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

which  applies  to  all  cases,  and  if  that  is  wisely  cultivated 
the  sensible  preacher  may  be  left  to  deal  with  exceptional 
cases.  How,  then,  may  this  apparent  breach  between 
church  life  and  men  be  healed  ? 

(1)  Let  the  preacher  preach  the  Gospel,  and  preach  it 
directly  to  the  people.  Instead  of  preaching  on  current 
topics  and  to  the  newspapers,  let  him  preach  on  Bible 
themes,  and  above  everything,  let  him  preach  Christ  as 
the  Saviour  of  sinners  and  as  the  great  rest-giver  to  all 
weary  souls  who  labour  and  are  heavy  laden.  Men,  for  the 
most  part,  are  tired  of  the  topics  of  the  week,  and  when  they 
go  to  church  on  Sunday  they  go  for  rest  from  the  vexa- 
tious problems  of  the  week,  and  they  go  for  help  that  they 
may  enter  upon  the  new  week  with  courage  and  confidence. 
Nothing  will  meet  their  case  so  effectively  as  earnest  Gospel 
preaching;  and  I  mean  by  this  kind  of  preaching  that 
which  comprehends  the  whole  of  the  divine  life  as  it  Is 
depicted  in  the  New  Testament. 

(2)  Our  churches  should  be  built  with  a  view  to  the 
necessities  of  men.  At  present  they  have  little  adaptation 
to  these  necessities.  They  are  shut  up  during  the  week 
except  when  religious  services  are  held,  and  these  generally 
include  only  the  Lord's  Day  services  and  the  prayer  meet- 
ings. At  other  times  the  church  building  is  simply  a 
standing  monument  of  the  very  indifference  we  are  seeking 
to  overcome.  Instead  of  a  warm  and  inviting  place  for  men 
to  congregate,  it  practically  becomes  a  sort  of  standing  pro- 
test against  any  sympathetic  touch  of  fraternity  except 
that  which  comes  from  public  religious  service. 

Now,  this  is  not  what  it  should  be.  In  my  judgment 
our  church  buildings  should  be  kept  open  all  the  week, 
and  rooms  in  these  buildings  should  be  provided  where  men 
can  come  and  converse  with  each  other,  write  letters,  read 
books,  magazines,  and  consult  the  daily  papers.     In  short, 


OF   MEN  275 

our  church  buildings  should  be  made  really  homes  for  all 
who  will  come  to  them,  while  useful  tracts  should  be  left 
upon  the  tables  for  all  to  read  who  will  do  so,  and  some 
one  or  more  of  the  church  members  should  be  appointed 
by  the  church  authorities  to  superintend  these  reading- 
rooms,  so  that  there  will  always  be  present  those  who  can 
instruct  inquiring  souls  in  the  way  of  salvation.  Certain 
persons  can  be  appointed  to  superintend  this  important 
work  on  specified  days,  and  by  a  division  of  labour  it  might 
be  possible  in  some  churches  to  have  every  member  of  the 
church  take  part  in  this  delightful  and  useful  service. 

(3)  Let  the  church  services  cease  to  be  perfunctory  and 
become  real  in  every  respect.  At  present  there  is  too  much 
formality  and  not  enough  spirituality.  Men  who  are  in- 
different to  church  life  quickly  detect  stereoperfunctity. 
They  see  this  ugly  thing  and  are  repelled  by  it.  Nothing 
will  conquer  indifference  so  well  as  an  earnestness  that 
takes  little  account  of  mere  forms  and  ceremonies.  Our 
present  religious  services  are  run  by  the  clock  as  regards 
time,  and  run  by  the  thermometer  as  regards  heat,  with  no 
possible  danger  that  they  will  ever  reach  either  a  reasonable 
length  or  the  boiling  point,  to  say  nothing  of  the  high 
temperature  that  makes  things  practically  red-hot.  And 
yet  the  welding  point,  or  the  point  where  men  may  be  cer- 
tainly fastened  to  the  churches,  cannot  be  reached  while 
the  churches  themselves  are  living  practically  at  the  freez- 
ing point. 

I  would  make  one  of  the  services  at  least  on  every  Lord's 
Day  a  service  mainly  for  Bible  study,  and  especially  for 
meeting  the  difficulties  in  the  minds  of  men  with  respect 
to  the  religion  of  Christ.  I  would  allow  these  men  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  meetings  as  far  as  may  be  practicable.  Un- 
doubtedly the  modern  pulpit  needs  freedom.  Not  simply 
freedom  of  expression,  or  freedom  to  say  things  that  may 


2^6  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

be  contrary  to  the  stereotyped  creeds  of  the  churches;  but 
freedom  to  court  investigation,  and  opportunity  for  the 
expression  of  contrary  opinion.  Some  of  us  pretend  to  go 
back  to  Christ  and  his  Apostles  for  guidance  with  respect 
to  all  religious  matters.  But  it  may  be  seriously  questioned 
whether  we  are  always  willing  to  do  this  when  Christ  and 
his  Apostles  would  lead  us  contrary  to  our  established 
habits  and  customs.  There  is  scarcely  anything  so  imper- 
ious as  custom,  and  a  slavish  subservience  to  modern  custom 
is  precisely  what  is  the  matter  with  the  pulpit  to-day. 

In  the  first  place,  the  pulpit  is  protected  against  any 
questions.  This  is  very  different  from  the  method  of 
Christ  and  his  Apostles.  They  courted  reply  and  discussion 
at  every  meeting  they  held.  Each  meeting  was  for  the 
purpose  of  enlightening  the  people,  and  was  open  for 
inquiry,  reply,  or  any  form  of  investigation  that  would 
help  to  inform  the  hearers.  Everywhere  the  Apostles  went 
they  held  themselves  ready  to  hear  all  objections  and  to 
answer  these  on  the  spot.  Indeed,  their  most  signal  tri- 
umphs were  gained  by  this  free  platform. 

No  doubt  this  method  had  some  apparent  disadvantages. 
It  sometimes  produced  considerable  confusion;  but  even 
this  was  far  better  than  the  "  ease  in  Zion  "  which  now 
prevails  in  most  of  our  churches.  A  little  stirring  up 
would  be  a  great  relief  to  those  who  attend  our  religious 
services  from  week  to  week  which  are  often  cut  by  the 
theological  pruning  knife  and  then  dried  in  the  furnace 
of  sectarian  enthusiasm — an  enthusiasm  which  has  its 
centre  and  circumference  in  the  maintenance  of  creedal 
shibboleths. 

Is  there  any  salvation  from  this  questionable  use  of  the 
great  privilege  of  preaching?  I  am  inclined  to  make  a 
suggestion  or  two  even  at  the  risk  of  being  regarded  as  an 
iconoclast. 


OF   MEN  277 

(1)  Let  there  be  an  open  meeting  held  on  every  Lord's 
Day  for  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel,  and  for  hearing 
objections,  and  answering  them  on  the  spot;  or  else  an- 
swering any  that  may  be  left  in  the  question  box  during 
the  week.  Let  there  be  the  most  perfect  freedom  granted 
at  these  meetings  for  inquiry,  objection,  or  discussion, 
within  reasonable  limits.  This  will  at  once  bring  to  the 
meetings  the  very  people  who  have  need  of  them.  Thou- 
sands now  stay  away  from  our  Lord's  Day  religious  serv- 
ices for  no  other  reason  than  the  failure  of  the  pulpit  to 
touch  the  actual  needs  of  the  people.  The  sermons  may 
be  excellent  of  their  kind ;  they  may  do  for  church  members 
and  persons  well-disposed  to  religion,  and  so  far  as  these 
hearers  are  concerned  accomplish  a  great  amount  of  good, 
but  if  they  miss  entirely  the  unconverted  masses,  then  it 
must  be  confessed  that  the  power  of  the  pulpit  is  limited 
entirely  too  much. 

Probably  the  plan  I  have  suggested  would  be  subjected 
to  considerable  abuse.  It  might  be  that  the  meetings  some- 
times would  not  be  as  quiet  as  a  graveyard,  but  they  would, 
even  at  their  worst,  be  better  than  a  graveyard  meeting. 
Life  needs  agitation,  and  friction  is  generally  the  best 
evidence  that  things  are  not  dead.  I  have  never  had  any 
fear  of  free  discussions,  but  I  have  always  greatly  feared 
the  suppression  of  it.  Evils  may  come  with  the  former, 
but  untold  evils  are  sure  to  come  with  the  latter. 

But  I  do  not  believe  that  the  freedom  I  have  suggested 
would  run  away  with  itself  if  properly  managed  by  a  wise 
presidency.  Of  course  much  would  depend  upon  the  pre- 
siding oflBcer,  who  should  usually  be  the  pastor  of  the 
church.  If  he  should  announce  the  subject  for  discussion 
beforehand,  and  let  it  be  known  that  it  will  be  open  with 
reasonable  limitations  to  all  comers,  in  my  judgment  the 
church  would  soon  be  surprised  at  the  number  of  people 


278  PREACHER   PROBLEMS     • 

who  would  be  attracted  to  its  services  who  now  never  enter 
the  church  building  at  all. 

(2)  Of  course  I  do  not  mean  that  every  public  meeting 
of  the  church  should  be  a  "free  for  all''  in  the  style  I 
have  indicated.  Church  members  should  have  a  special 
meeting  for  worship,  for  mutual  edification,  and  for  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures  with  respect  to  the  development  of 
the  spiritual  life.  This,  in  most  churches,  should  occupy 
the  morning  service,  though  sometimes  it  may  be  better 
to  have  it  at  another  hour.  The  time,  however,  is  a  matter 
of  mere  detail,  and  does  not  affect  my  general  contention. 
No  one  believes  in  the  importance  of  a  quiet,  restful,  de- 
votional service  more  than  I  do,  but  I  believe  that  this 
cannot  be  secured,  in  the  best  sense,  unless  the  meetings 
are  practically  confined  to  the  church  members ;  and  hence 
without  any  outside  interference.  At  present  our  Sunday 
services  are  held  without  any  discrimination  between  the 
world  and  the  church.  Indeed,  if  there  is  any  emphasis 
it  is  on  the  worldly  side  and  not  on  the  church  side.  "  The 
world  expects  us  "  to  do  certain  things  and  to  have  certain 
things  done  in  our  Lord's  Day  services;  and  to  meet  this 
expectation  we  go  on  with  our  enumerations  until  the  world 
practically  takes  precedence  over  the  church  in  our  Lord's 
Day  worship.  The  sermon  is  often  a  sort  of  medley  with- 
out any  very  specific  message  for  either  saint  or  sinner. 
In  an  attempt  to  meet  the  case  of  both  classes  it  has  little 
or  no  power  for  either.  But  by  the  plan  suggested  all  this 
lack  of  directness  could  be  avoided.  Will  our  churches 
have  the  courage  to  give  up  what  is  simply  nothing  more 
than  a  stereotyped  formality? 

(3)  Let  the  preaching  be  simple,  direct,  and  natural. 
All  effort  at  display  should  be  avoided.  The  average  man 
does  not  like  affectation,  and  he  will  always  be  disgusted 
with  cant.    He  will  generally  commend  that  only  which  is 


OF   MEN  279 

marked  by  reality  and  sincerity.  Nor  should  the  preacher 
seek  to  avoid  speaking  plainly  to  his  people.  Manly  men 
like  honesty,  and  no  other  kind  of  men  will  probably  be 
very  seriously  affected  for  good.  In  the  parable  of  the 
sower  we  have  four  kinds  of  hearers,  and  only  one  of  these 
is  permanently  benefited.  Preaching  must  reach  the  good 
and  honest  heart  before  it  will  bring  forth  fruit,  some 
thirty,  some  sixty,  and  some  a  hundredfold. 

The  preacher  need  not  be  discouraged  if  all  his  hearers 
are  not  converted,  nor  should  he  be  entirely  cast  down  if 
some  of  those  who  profess  Christ  do  not  continue  to  honour 
him.  The  consequences  of  preaching  are  not  with  the 
preacher  when  he  has  faithfully  done  his  duty.  His  re- 
sponsibility is  met  when  he  has  earnestly  proclaimed  the 
Gospel,  and  this  much  he  must  do  in  order  to  clear  himself 
of  the  blood  of  all  men;  and  when  he  does  this  he  will 
find  that  his  preaching  is  much  more  attractive  to  the 
people  generally  than  when  he  skips  the  hard  places  and 
seeks  to  compromise  with  evil,  simply  because  he  does  not 
wish  to  offend  his  hearers. 

It  is  said  that  on  one  occasion  when  the  celebrated  Peter 
Cartwright  was  preaching,  General  Jackson  entered  the 
house  and  took  a  seat  in  the  congregation.  A  preacher  was 
sitting  in  the  pulpit  behind  Cartwright,  and  when  this 
preacher  saw  General  Jackson  come  in  he  pulled  the  coat- 
tail  of  Cartwright  and  spoke  to  him  in  an  undertone, 
telling  him  that  General  Jackson  was  in  the  house.  But 
as  Cartwright  paid  no  attention  to  him,  he  repeated  his 
action  and  words  several  times.  At  last,  when  Cartwright 
was  out  of  patience,  he  stopped  his  discourse  and  remarked : 
"My  brother  behind  me  keeps  telling  me  that  General 
Jackson  is  in  the  house.  But  who  is  General  Jackson? 
Before  the  cross  he  is  just  like  the  rest  of  us;  he  must 
repent  and  turn  to  God  or  else  he  will  be  lost  just  like  any 


2go  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

other  sinner."  When  the  services  were  ended  General 
Jackson  walked  up  to  Cartwright  and  congratulated  him 
on  his  frankness  and  courage. 

This  incident  illustrates  very  well  the  kind  of  manliness 
which  the  pulpit  must  show  if  men  are  to  be  influenced  by 
it.  I  have  the  greatest  faith  in  a  manly  courage,  on  the 
part  of  the  preacher,  in  order  to  attract  crowds  of  men  to 
his  ministry.  The  preacher  need  not  be  coarse,  and  cer- 
tainly not  offensively  personal,  but  he  can  tell  men  frankly 
where  they  live,  how  they  are  living,  and  what  is  necessary 
to  put  them  on  the  right  road  to  secure  the  life  that  now 
is  and  that  which  is  to  come.  He  can  compel  them  to 
leave  their  hiding  places  by  opening  the  doors  which  screen 
them  from  the  public  gaze,  and  when  it  is  all  over  these 
men  will  thank  the  preacher  for  the  courage  he  has  dis- 
played. The  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  has  a  mis- 
sion, in  this  respect,  which  exceeds  in  responsibility  that 
of  any  other  age  in  the  whole  history  of  the  church.  If 
the  twentieth  century  preacher  will  heartily  and  earnestly 
accept  this  responsibility,  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  the 
fact  that  the  problem  of  men  with  respect  to  our  church 
life  will  be  more  than  halfway  solved. 


XXVII 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  WOMEN 

Woman  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  man,  but  at  the 
same  time  she  has  never  failed  to  be  his  idol.  If  he  scold 
her,  he  ends  by  worshipping  her.  If  she  eats  forbidden 
fruit  and  offers  it  to  him,  he  takes  it  without  protest,  and 
then  shares  with  her  the  consequences  of  their  mutual  dis- 
obedience. While  the  man  is  normally  the  head  of  the 
family,  the  woman  is  practically  the  neck;  consequently 
the  head  cannot  turn  without  the  consent  of  the  neck.  But 
no  matter  how  this  is,  it  is  unquestionably  true  that 
woman's  influence  is  very  great  for  good  or  evil  in  all  the 
affairs  of  this  world. 

It  has  been  said  that  women  are  the  poetry  of  the 
world,  in  the  same  way  as  the  stars  are  the  poetry  of  heaven. 
Clear,  light-giving,  harmonious,  they  are  the  terrestrial 
planets  that  rule  the  destiny  of  mankind.  But  this 
does  not  express  the  whole  truth.  Women  are  much  more 
than  poetry.  Indeed,  they  are  generally  more  practical 
than  men  are;  as  business  managers  they  often  show  the 
greatest  ability,  especially  where  small  details  are  impor- 
tant to  the  success  of  the  business. 

It  is  not  necessary  at  present  to  discuss  the  differences 
between  men  and  women ;  at  the  same  time,  it  may  be  well 
to  consider  these  differences  in  some  respects,  in  order  to 
solve  the  problem  of  woman's  true  relation  to  the  church. 
A  writer  in  the  National  Review  states  these  differences  so 
clearly,  and  withal  so  philosophically,  that  I  prefer  to  use 
his  language  instead  of  anything  I  might  say  myself.  He 
says : 

281 


282  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

"  The  most  obvious  characteristics  of  the  feminine  intel- 
lect are  delicacy  of  perceptive  power  and  rapidity  of  move- 
ment. A  woman  sees  a  thousand  things  which  escape  a 
man.  Physically  even,  she  is  quicker  sighted.  A  girl  is 
a  better  bird-nester  than  a  boy;  a  woman  marks  a  thing 
which  passes  over  a  man's  eye  too  rapidly  for  him  to 
perceive  it.  Mentally,  she  takes  in  many  more  impressions 
in  the  same  time  than  a  man  does.  A  woman  will  have 
mastered  the  minutest  details  in  another  woman's  dress, 
and  noted  all  the  evidences  of  character  in  the  face,  before 
a  man,  who  has  been  equally  occupied  in  examining  her, 
knows  the  details  of  her  features. 

"  If  we  were  called  upon  to  indicate  the  most  marked 
and  deepseated  distinction  between  the  minds  of  men  and 
women,  we  should  say  that  the  minds  of  men  rested  in 
generals,  and  were  stored  with  particulars,  and  that  the 
minds  of  women  rested  in  particulars,  and  were  prolific  in 
general  ideas.  Men,  it  is  said,  are  occupied  with  facts,  and 
so  they  are;  but  it  is  the  characteristic  of  the  highest  and 
most  typically  masculine  intellects  always  to  be  passing 
through  facts  on  to  the  principle  which  binds  them  to- 
gether, and  to  base  their  lives  and  practice  on  the  results 
thus  attained.  Women,  it  is  said,  are  always  rushing  into 
general  ideas.  So  they  are ;  but  it  is  as  a  way  to  particular 
facts,  and  they  move  from  and  are  guided  by  the  special 
relations  thus  educed. 

"  The  mind  of  a  woman  is  more  fluid,  as  it  were,  than 
that  of  a  man.  It  moves  more  easily,  and  its  operations 
have  a  less  cohesive  and  permanent  character.  A  woman 
thinks  transiently,  and  in  a  hand-to-mouth  sort  of  a  way. 
She  makes  a  new  observation  and  a  new  deduction  for  each 
case,  and  consequently,  also,  a  new  general  idea.  A  man, 
less  quick,  and  less  fertile,  accumulates  facts,  collects  them 
in  classes,  and  combines  them  by  principles;  a  woman's 


OF   WOMEN  283 

mind  is  a  running  stream,  ever  emptying  itself,  and  ever 
freshly  supplied.  She  takes  a  bucketful  when  she  wants  it. 
A  man's  mind  is  a  reservoir,  arranged  to  work  a  water- 
wheel.  Women  are  scarcely  less  steady  and  persevering 
than  men  in  the  pursuit  of  practical  ends.  They  are  more 
full  of  resources  and  expedients.  They  have  a  greater  ap- 
preciation of,  and  a  far  greater  power  of  wielding,  small 
and  indirect  influences.  They  have  tact,  but  they  do  not 
discuss  practical  matters  efficiently  when  met  together; 
they  become  discursive,  set  larks  and  run  hares;  each  is 
occupied  with  her  own  idea,  and  several  speak  together. 
They  do  the  work  excellently,  but  they  do  not  shine  in  the 
committee  room." 

With  this  analysis  before  us,  we  are  now  able  to  indicate 
specifically  some  important  facts  with  respect  to  the  work 
which  women  must  do  in  and  for  the  church,  and  which 
she  can  do  better  even  than  men. 

(1)  She  can  be  the  helper  of  those  who  preach  the 
Gospel.  I  do  not  believe  that  women  are  in  their  true 
position  when  they  go  into  the  pulpit,  or  even  on  the  plat- 
form, except  on  special  occasions  which  seem  to  call  for 
and  justify  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Of  course,  in 
the  public  meetings  of  women's  societies,  and  in  those  ex- 
ceptional cases  where  women  are  to  lecture  upon  certain 
special  subjects,  there  ought  to  be  no  objection  to  her  ap- 
pearing in  either  the  pulpit  or  on  the  platform.  But  her 
course  may  well  be  questioned  if  she  leaves  the  quieter 
duties  of  life  for  those  involved  in  a  continuous  appearance 
either  in  the  pulpit  or  on  the  platform.  I  do  not  propose 
to  discuss  her  right  to  occupy  such  a  position,  or  to  enter 
upon  such  a  work.  It  is  not  a  question  with  me  of  right. 
I  am  looking  at  it  wholly  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
appropriate.  I  am  satisfied  that  a  woman  must  be  womanly 
in  order  to  exert  the  best  influence  she  can  command,  and 


284  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

she  will  generally  lose  her  womanliness  in  the  exact  ratio 
that  she  assumes  to  do  the  work  which  has  always  been 
recognised  as  man's  exclusive  sphere  of  action.  It  may  be 
that  men  have  claimed  too  much  in  this  respect;  it  is  not 
impossible  to  suppose  that  women  may  have  succeeded 
better  than  men  in  the  very  things  from  which  they  are  now 
practically  excluded  by  virtue  of  public  sentiment.  But 
whether  this  is  so  or  not,  women  must  recognise  this  senti- 
ment, or  else  their  influence  before  the  public  will  be  largely 
destroyed. 

But  however  this  may  be,  so  far  as  public  ministrations 
are  concerned,  from  either  the  pulpit  or  platform,  it  is 
unquestionably  true  that  women  may  become  very  useful 
helpers  to  those  who  do  preach  the  Gospel.  The  woman 
is  often  a  better  preacher  in  private  than  a  man  is,  and 
this  is  especially  true  when  she  is  dealing  with  women  in- 
quirers. In  this  particular  service  she  may  be  of  great 
advantage  to  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century. 

(2)  Women  ought  to  be  used  more  effectively  in  the 
church  than  they  have  been  in  the  past.  Protestantism 
is  especially  weak  with  regard  to  the  use  it  has  made  of 
women  in  the  churches.  Roman  Catholicism  owes  very 
much  of  its  success  to  precisely  what  Protestantism  has 
neglected.  Protestants  may  deride  the  notion  of  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  belief  in  what  has  been  called 
the  motherhood  of  God,  but  all  the  same  this  recognition 
of  woman's  influence  is  exactly  what  has  made  Romanism 
the  power  that  it  is.  It  does  not  help  the  matter  to  say 
that  the  Roman  notion  is  entirely  wrong.  I  am  not  dis- 
cussing the  right  or  wrong  of  the  notion,  but  I  am  just 
simply  talking  about  its  influence.  If  the  notion  is 
wrong,  and  it  certainly  is,  Protestants  ought  to  find  out 
what  is  exactly  right  with  respect  to  the  matter,  and  then 
act  accordingly,  rather  than  practically  reject  woman's 


OF   WOMEN  285 

help  entirely,  simply  because  it  has  been  used  illegitimately. 
If  it  were  not  for  the  Eoman  Catholic  sisterhood,  it  is  my 
deliberate  opinion  that  Eoman  Catholicism  could  not  main- 
tain its  present  influence  for  even  a  single  decade,  and  it 
would  not  be  fifty  years  until  it  would  practically  cease 
to  be  a  religious  power  in  the  world.  It  is  the  women  of 
the  Roman  Church,  rather  than  the  men,  that  give  it  the 
influence  it  possesses. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Salvation  Army.  This 
army  uses  women;  in  fact  puts  them  to  the  front,  gives 
them  a  place  which,  in  my  judgment,  they  should  not 
occupy;  but  all  the  same  they  are  used,  and  wonderfully 
used,  for  the  propagation  of  the  army's  ideas  and  plans. 

Is  there  any  lesson  in  these  facts  for  our  own  churches  ? 
Certainly  the  minister  of  the  Gospel,  who  expects  his 
ministry  to  be  an  eminent  success,  cannot  ignore  entirely 
the  most  powerful  latent  influence  in  the  churches  simply 
because  this  influence  has  been  used  perhaps  illegitimately 
by  some  religious  bodies.  Undoubtedly  Protestants  need 
not  follow  slavishly,  with  respect  to  women,  either  the 
Eoman  Catholic  Church  or  the  Salvation  Army;  but  what 
Protestants  ought  to  do  is  to  consult  the  New  Testament 
and  give  to  women  in  the  churches  the  place  ascribed  to 
them  by  apostolic  precept  and  example,  and  when  this  is 
done,  women  will  occupy  a  very  different  position  from 
what  they  have  occupied  in  the  churches  of  the  past  two  or 
three  centuries. 

(3)  In  our  educational  institutions  women  must  have  a 
fuller  and  clearer  recognition.  I  speak  specially  of  those 
institutions  which  are  or  should  be  dominated  by  religious 
influence.  The  discrimination  with  regard  to  women  in 
our  public  schools  and  universities  is  a  crying  shame,  but 
with  that  I  have  nothing  to  do  at  present,  except  to  say  that 
in  many  respects  women  are  better  teachers  than  men,  and 


286  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

therefore  ought  to  have  at  least  equal  salary  with  men,  in- 
stead of  being  about  half  paid  as  they  now  are.  But  what 
I  wish  to  emphasis  is  the  importance  of  distinctly  women's 
schools  and  colleges  for  the  special  education  of  our  young 
women  who  are  to  become  the  wives  and  mothers  of  the 
future.  Mixed  schools  are  well  enough,  or  at  least  are  not 
so  objectionable,  while  children  are  under  fourteen  years  of 
age;  but  between  fourteen  years  and  twenty  no  girl  ought 
to  be  educated  in  a  mixed  school.  She  has  special  charac- 
teristics all  her  own.  She  is,  during  this  period,  forming  a 
character  either  for  good  or  evil.  She  ought  to  be  placed 
in  the  most  favourable  environment  for  the  development 
of  a  truly  womanly  character,  and  this  cannot  be  done  half 
so  well  as  in  schools  where  young  women  only  are  admitted. 

I  cannot  at  present  discuss  the  reasons  for  this  view  of 
the  matter.  But  from  long  observation  and  experience,  I 
do  not  doubt  that  my  conclusion  is  correct;  and  as  I  am 
urging  the  twentieth  century  preacher  to  make  the  most  of 
woman's  influence  in  his  work,  I  would  be  untrue  to  my 
convictions,  as  well  as  make  a  very  inadequate  plea  for 
woman's  best  influence,  if  I  did  not  urge  every  preacher 
to  encourage  and  sustain  those  schools  and  colleges  where 
women  are  specially  educated,  not  simply  for  society  in 
its  popular  meaning,  but  for  the  church  in  its  true  mean- 
ing, which  after  all  is  the  most  important  sphere  of  woman, 
unless  we  except  the  family  circle. 

But  as  already  intimated,  woman's  influence  should 
especially  be  felt  in  all  the  agencies  of  the  church.  It  is 
in  the  church,  and  through  the  church,  as  a  divine  organ- 
isation, that  woman's  greatest  influence  is  to  be  exerted. 
Here  is  her  religious  home,  and  it  is  in  this  she  must  seek 
to  employ  all  her  powers.  Woman's  mission  is  not  to  the 
world,  but  to  the  church.  She  is  not  sent  out  to  proclaim 
the  Gospel,  but  is  rather  sent  in  for  the  purpose  of  strength- 


OF   WOMEN  287 

ening  the  faith,  brightening  the  hope,  and  increasing  the 
love  of  the  saints  of  God.  Hers  is  rather  a  subjective 
work,  though  her  influence  in  its  ultimate  effects  is  not 
confined  to  the  church.  It  is  certainly  true  that  the 
church  is  the  "pillar  and  support  of  the  truth";  hence 
it  must  be  evident  to  every  candid  mind  that  the  truth  will 
succeed  only  as  the  church  is  made  eflBcient  in  promulgat- 
ing it. 

Here,  then,  is  the  point  to  watch.  Make  the  church  what 
it  ought  to  be,  and  the  world  will  soon  be  converted  to 
Christ.  But  how  make  the  church  what  it  ought  to  be? 
Certainly  not  by  leaving  almost  wholly  unemployed  that 
portion  of  its  membership  which  is  capable  of  yielding  it 
the  most  active  and  efficient  service.  Is  not  woman  rec- 
ognised as  a  servant  of  the  church  in  the  Scriptures? 
Then  may  she  not  rightfully  labour  in  such  ways  as  she 
can  best  advance  the  cause  of  Christ  ?  Surely  no  one  who 
hopes  for  the  successful  propagation  of  Christianity  can 
deny  her  this  privilege. 

In  visiting  the  sick  woman  may  exert  a  matchless  in- 
fluence. In  fact  there  are  many  cases  where  she  alone  can 
be  beneficial,  and  in  almost  all  cases  she  can  render  valu- 
able service.  S3rrQpathy  is  frequently  worth  infinitely  more 
than  money.  "  Weep  with  those  who  weep,"  is  a  divine 
injunction;  and  it  seems  to  be  the  nature  of  woman  to 
understand  at  once,  and  S3nnpathise  with,  the  afilicted. 
How  many  pastors,  during  their  ministrations  in  the  sick 
room,  have  felt  powerless  in  the  presence  of  the  kind  words 
and  gentle  deeds  of  some  mother  in  Israel !  She  seems  to 
know  at  once  just  what  to  say,  and  when  to  say  it.  Is  it 
necessary  to  be  cheerful  ?  It  is  not  feigned  upon  her  part, 
but  seems  to  grow  out  of  the  necessity  of  the  occasion. 
Are  sympathetic  words  appropriate?  They  come  from  a 
heart  overflowing  with  love.     Is  an  exhibition  of  courage 


288  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

essential  to  inspire  confidence?  Her  frail  form  does  not 
even  tremble  in  the  presence  of  death.  Often  have  I  felt 
utterly  ashamed  of  my  own  feeble  efforts  to  minister  to  the 
sick  and  dying,  while  watching  the  wonderful  success  of 
these  angel  visitors. 

There  is  another  work  which  woman  can  do  most  suc- 
cessfully. There  are  almost  always  persons  in  the  church 
who  need  to  be  "  instructed  in  the  way  of  the  Lord  more 
perfectly."  And  wherever  we  find  an  ignorant  ApoUos,  we 
need  an  earnest  Priscilla  to  teach  him  what  he  should  do. 
In  no  way  will  woman's  influence  yield  greater  returns  than 
in  this  kind  of  labour.  Her  peculiar  methods  of  working, 
and  her  relations  to  society  in  general,  make  her  efforts  in 
this  direction  almost  irresistible.  She  needs  but  to  be 
faithful  to  her  mission,  to  understand  her  opportunities, 
and  she  can  be  instrumental  in  leading  many  hesitating 
souls  to  a  stronger  faith,  and  a  more  comprehensive  knowl- 
edge in  the  divine  life. 

In  all  benevolent  enterprises  woman  may  perform  an 
important  part,  and  in  the  circulation  of  tracts,  etc.,  she 
can  succeed  where  men  would  utterly  fail.  Men  will  read 
a  tract  for  the  woman's  sake,  if  for  no  other  reason,  and, 
reading  it,  they  become  interested  in  it  for  the  truth's  sake, 
and  will  then  read  it  again  for  their  own  sake.  I  once  knew 
a  gentleman  who  would  not  listen  to  religious  instructions 
except  from  a  certain  woman  who  was  kind  to  him  when 
he  was  sick.  He  would  read  anything  she  gave  him,  and 
listen  to  anything  she  said.  Let  our  sisters  think  of  it; 
they  have  it  in  their  power  to  control  the  destiny  of  im- 
mortal souls !  Can  they,  then,  for  a  moment  be  indifferent 
to  their  responsibilities?  Will  they  waste  the  precious 
time  God  has  given  them,  in  chasing  the  butterflies  of 
fashion  and  folly,  when  they  may  be  engaged  in  the  grand 
and  glorious  work  of  leading  the  world  to  Christ  ?     Surely 


OF   WOMEN  289 

no  true  woman  would  hesitate  for  a  moment  which  course 
to  choose. 

But,  they  may  ask,  how  is  all  this  to  be  done?  They 
may  say  that  they  are  willing  to  work — willing  to  do  any- 
thing that  will  be  of  service  in  the  Lord's  cause,  but  then 
there  is  no  one  who  will  instruct  them  what  to  do  or  where 
to  do  it.  They  feel  cut  off,  in  a  large  degree,  from  the 
active  agencies  of  the  church.  True,  they  feel  it  to  be 
their  duty  to  occupy  their  place  at  all  the  public  meetings 
of  the  congregation.  But  they  receive  little  or  no  en- 
couragement to  do  anything  else.  They  look  around  in 
vain  for  any  organised  movement  among  the  sisters  that 
will  insure  success.  They  say,  give  us  encouragement  and 
put  us  to  work  in  a  way  where  we  can  help  one  another, 
and  then  we  will  be,  indeed  and  in  truth,  "helpers"  of 
those  who  proclaim  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  All  this  must  be 
the  work  of  the  twentieth  century  preacher. 

The  great  intellectual  problems  of  the  church  have  al- 
ready been  solved;  the  battles  for  religious  freedom  have 
been  fought  and  won;  and  what  the  church  needs  now  is 
more  attention  to  the  development  of  spiritual  life.  The 
weak  must  be  strengthened,  the  ignorant  instructed,  the 
disconsolate  comforted,  and  the  heart-life  of  all  brought 
up  to  the  highest  standard  of  Christian  experience.  In 
this  department  of  labour  must  woman  work.  Here  is 
where  she  is  strongest,  and  here  is  just  where  she  is  needed 
in  this  active,  restless,  turbulent  age.  Let  her  then  go 
forth  upon  her  mission  of  mercy;  let  her  cut  the  chains 
which  now  bind  her  to  the  obsolete  ideas  of  mediaeval  Chris- 
tianity, and  soon  will  the  future  brighten  with  the  glorious 
promise  of  the  coming  day,  when  the  kingdoms  of  this 
world  shall  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ. 


XXVIIl 

THE  PKOBLEM  OF  THE  EICH 

Wealth^  when  properly  understood,  is  character.  Life 
always  partakes  of  its  environment,  no  matter  what  may  be 
the  predisposing  influence  of  heredity.  Certain  tree  frogs 
take  the  colour  of  the  limb  on  which  they  rest.  We  can- 
not escape  the  power  of  association;  and  as  this  is  always 
for  either  good  or  evil,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
we  guard  well  our  lives  at  this  point.  All  contact  that  is 
not  sanctified  is  dangerous;  and  yet  it  is  contact  that 
makes  life  really  worth  living.  Isolation  is  always  bad, 
and  sometimes  it  is  worse  than  unhallowed  association. 
The  man  who  buried  his  talent  was  no  better  than  the  man 
with  five  talents,  though  these  should  have  been  squandered. 
Profligacy  in  social  life  is  to  be  preferred  to  unproductive, 
unsympathetic  individualism.  The  former  is  wasteful  and 
immoral,  but  the  latter  is  selfish  in  the  highest  degree, 
without  even  the  redeeming  quality  of  productiveness. 

When  it  is  said  that  wealth  is  character,  it  is  meant 
thereby  that  wealth  enters  into  character  and  becomes  a 
constituent  part  of  it.  It  is  much  the  habit,  nowadays,  in 
our  ethical  teaching,  to  separate  the  man  from  his  belong- 
ings. We  say  the  man  is  one  thing  and  what  he  owns  is 
another.  But  this  method  does  not  work  out  well  in  prac- 
tice. The  man  becomes  very  much  like  the  thing  that  most 
absorbs  his  attention.  Love  is  not  only  the  greatest  thing 
in  the  world,  but  it  is  also  the  most  powerful.  We  attach 
ourselves  to  the  environment  of  wealth  by  the  love  of  it, 
and  the  "  love  of  money  is  a  root  of  all  evil."  The  picture 
of  the  man,  in  Bunyan's  great  allegory,  with  a  muck  rake, 

S90 


OF   THE   RICH  291 

is  a  faithful  likeness  of  every  mammon-worsliipper.  Even 
the  Son  of  Man,  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  with  his  own 
tender  hand  cannot  lift  the  miser's  head  to  the  skies. 
Wealth,  when  it  fairly  gets  hold  of  ns,  as  certainly  shapes 
us  and  creates  our  characters  as  if  we  were  cast  into  the 
very  mould  in  which  the  dollars  are  coined. 

The  danger  of  wealth,  therefore,  is  not  altogether  social. 
We  shall  come  to  notice  that  presently;  but  just  now  it  is 
desirable  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  wealth  produces  char- 
acter, and  that,  therefore,  the  reaction  of  wealth  upon  the 
individual  is  the  first  point  to  be  considered  in  any  in- 
telligent and  exhaustive  treatment  of  the  subject.  This 
reaction  is  generally  evil.  I  do  not  say  it  is  always  so. 
Perhaps  it  ought  not  to  be  so  at  all.  Wealth  gives  oppor- 
tunity, and  opportunity  is  the  measure  of  responsibility; 
but  as  opportunity  is  the  measure  of  responsibility  it  can 
readily  be  seen  how  wealth  increases  our  obligation  to  do 
good.  But  who  actually  does  good  in  the  ratio  of  increas- 
ing wealth?  Now,  if  this  ratio  is  not  fully  met  in  a 
corresponding  benevolence,  then  the  wealth  must  neces- 
sarily make  the  character  worse  rather  than  better.  Surely 
this  fact  of  itself  makes  wealth  one  of  the  most  dangerous 
things  to  handle  in  all  the  world. 

However,  it  is  my  present  purpose  to  consider  wealth 
from  the  point  of  view  of  our  social  life,  our  national  life, 
and  our  church  life.  Of  course  its  influnce  upon  the  in- 
dividual life  must  seriously  affect  its  other  relations;  but 
just  now  I  am  concerned  with  wealth  as  a  factor  in  the 
three  relations  I  have  indicated,  and  especially  as  regards 
our  church  life.  The  preacher  will  have  to  meet  this  prob- 
lem of  the  rich,  and  it  needs  no  argument  to  convince  the 
well  informed  minister  of  the  Gospel  that  this  is  one  of  the 
most  diflBcult  problems  which  he  will  have  to  solve,  and  if 
he  should  solve  it  wisely,  he  will  have  done  much  more  for 


292  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  cause  he  represents  than  he  could  accomplish  perhaps 
in  any  other  way.  He  who  can  solve  the  problem  of  wealth, 
so  that  it  shall  occupy  a  normal  position  in  the  church, 
will  deserve  the  lasting  gratitude  of  every  faithful  minister 
of  the  Gospel. 

Let  us  now  briefly  consider  a  few  startling  facts.  The 
enormous  increase  of  wealth  in  the  United  States  is  simply 
an  appalling  fact.  It  is  estimated,  from  reliable  data,  that 
this  increase  is  in  the  ratio  of  at  least  seven  millions  of 
dollars  per  day.  But  a  still  more  startling  fact  is  that  this 
remarkable  accumulation  of  wealth  is  practically  in  the 
hands  of  a  comparatively  few  persons.  In  New  York  City 
alone  there  are  about  one  thousand  and  two  hundred  in- 
dividuals and  estates  that  are  each  worth  not  less  than  one 
million  dollars.  That  is,  there  are  in  that  city  about  one 
thousand  and  two  hundred  millionaires,  while  in  Brooklyn 
there  are  at  least  two  hundred  more,  making  in  the  two 
cities,  or  what  is  called  Greater  New  York,  one  thousand 
and  four  hundred  millionaires. 

It  is  affirmed  that  eight  members  of  the  Vanderbilt 
family  are  worth  at  least  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  while  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  com- 
posed of  nine  specially  wealthy  persons,  is  reckoned  to  be 
worth,  in  round  numbers,  at  least  one  billion  of  dollars; 
and  estimating  at  the  rate  of  the  accumulation  of  these 
fortunes  in  the  past,  in  less  than  twenty-five  years  their 
united  fortunes  will  amount  to  about  three  billions  five 
hundred  millions.  It  must  be  remembered  also  that  there 
are  several  other  very  wealthy  men  in  the  United  States 
who  are  not  included  in  the  estimates  I  have  made.  Not 
long  ago  twenty-one  railroad  magnates  met  in  New  York 
City  to  discuss  the  question  of  railroad  competition,  and 
it  is  said  that  these  gentlemen  represented  the  enormous 
sum  of  three  billions  of  dollars. 


OF  THE  RICH  293 

The  first  remark  which  needs  to  be  made  concerning  the 
foregoing  facts  and  figures  is,  that  not  a  few  justify  this 
enormous  accumulation  in  the  hands  of  these  men,  and 
actually  look  with  pleasure  upon  this  great  wealth,  because 
it  adds  to  the  glory  of  our  country.  But  what  has  been 
the  course  of  history  with  respect  to  such  matters?  Who 
does  not  know  that  wealth  begets  profligacy,  and  that  the 
downfall  of  nations  has  usually  started  from  the  Temple  of 
Fortune  ? 

Success  has  its  rightful  place  in  every  worthy  civilisa- 
tion, but  nations,  as  well  as  individuals,  need  to  study  well 
the  beatitude  which  says,  "  Blessed  are  those  who  have  made 
financial  failure,  for  thereby  they  have  been  taught  that 
life  does  not  consist  in  what  a  man  hath."  Jesus  was  the 
great  exponent  of  a  personality  developed  in  poverty.  His 
teaching  corresponded  to  his  environment.  He  said  it  was 
"  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than 
for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God."  We  profess 
to  follow  Him  and  honour  his  teachings,  but  is  it  not  a  fact 
that  we  practically  ignore  both  his  example  and  words 
when  we  come  to  the  question  of  wealth?  It  is  easy  to 
whittle  down  his  meaning  until  it  amounts  to  nothing  at  all ; 
but  this  is  a  poor  way  to  deal  faithfully  with  the  Word  of 
God,  and  it  is  equally  a  poor  way  to  deal  honestly  with  our- 
selves. The  fact  is,  no  man  has  a  right  to  own  anything 
more  than  a  reasonable  living,  unless  the  capital  which  he 
possesses  is  made  to  yield  an  income  for  the  benefit  of 
others.  There  is  no  need  of  that  abnormal  socialism,  which 
is  just  now  so  popular  with  some  writers,  provided  we  can 
have  a  consecrated  individualism  which  will  lend  itself  to 
the  good  of  the  whole  of  society.  When  each  individual 
comes  to  understand  thoroughly  his  responsibilities,  and  is, 
at  the  same  time,  willing  to  discharge  these  in  a  manner 
commensurate  with  the  best  interest  of  every  other  Individ- 


294  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Tial,  then  we  shall  have  the  social  life  that  is  needed,  and 
the  only  one  that  will  stand  the  rugged  tests  of  commercial 
intercourse.  There  is  nothing  so  conservative  as  money, 
and  yet  there  is  nothing  so  sensitive.  It  often  will  not  move 
under  the  most  powerful  appeal  for  sympathy  and  help, 
but  it  will  tremble  like  an  aspen  leaf  at  the  very  first  indi- 
cation of  danger  to  financial  interests. 

We  have  never  yet,  perhaps,  quite  understood  the  true 
value  of  wealth.  Most  people  attach  to  it  entirely  too  much 
importance.  With  some  it  means  almost  everything.  It 
is  the  first  and  last  question  with  them.  With  respect  to 
the  most  delicate  relations  of  life  it  is  always  the  deter- 
mining factor.  If  a  marriage  contract  is  to  be  considered, 
the  parents  often  practically  place  their  children  upon  the 
market  as  if  they  were  ordinary  articles  of  barter  and  sale. 
Indeed,  the  care  for  them  is  not  always  equal  to  the  care 
exercised  in  the  rearing  of  cattle,  sheep,  or  even  pigs.  In 
the  latter  case  there  is  some  consideration  shown  for  the 
kind  of  stock  that  is  to  be  propagated,  but  nothing  of  the 
sort  seems  to  have  weight  with  those  parents  who  are  ready 
to  sell  their  children  for  a  price  in  "  filthy  lucre."  Some 
time  ago  a  lady  remarked  to  me  that  a  young  woman  friend 
had  just  married  and  had  done  so  well,  as  the  man  she 
married  owned  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land.  The  man 
himself  was  practically  a  nobody,  or  at  most  only  a  worth- 
less animal.  I  replied  by  saying :  "Of  course  the  young 
woman  did  well ;  she  went  in  for  dirt,  and  got  it." 

Shame  upon  this  whole  thing!  Many  Americans  con- 
demn the  aristocracy  of  blood,  such  as  we  find  in  European 
countries,  but  at  the  same  time  they  do  not  hesitate  to  ap- 
prove the  aristocracy  of  Mammon — the  meanest  of  all  possi- 
ble aristocracies.  Our  money  kings  in  this  country  are  the 
men  who  largely  govern  the  country,  in  spite  of  our  pro- 
test against  kingcraft,  and  our  constant  affirmation  of  a 


OF   THE   RICH  295 

theoretical  democracy.  I  say  theoretical  advisedly,  be- 
cause, as  a  matter  of  fact,  our  plea  for  government  by  the 
people,  when  thoroughly  tested,  is  little  more  than  a  sham. 
Eeally,  the  mammon-worship  in  America  has  become  a 
crying  evil  and  a  dangerous  menace.  The  average  Amer- 
ican is  too  much  inclined  to  change  the  wise  man's  admoni- 
tion, "With  all  thy  getting,  get  understanding,"  so  as 
to  read,  "With  all  thy  getting,  get  money."  Still,  it  is 
well  known  that  money-getting  does  not  bring  happiness. 
This  fact  was  familiar  to  the  world  before  the  dawn  of 
Christianity. 

Neverthless  it  is  well  to  remember  that  wealth  in  itself  is 
not  necessarily  an  evil.  I  have  already  intimated  that 
wealth  is  character.  This  character  may  be  good,  or  it  may 
be  bad.  Everything  depends  upon  how  the  wealth  is  ac- 
quired and  how  it  is  used  after  it  is  acquired.  I  have  no 
sympathy  with  those  men  who  are  forever  denouncing 
material  things.  There  are  not  a  few  who  imagine  that 
they  have  a  special  mission  to  find  fault  with  the  world. 
But  after  all,  Paul's  view  of  the  matter  is  better.  He 
taught  that  we  should  "  use  the  world  as  not  abusing  it." 
God  made  all  things  good,  but  man  has  sought  out  many 
evil  inventions.  Material  wealth  has  its  proper  place,  and 
in  that  place  it  may  be  a  great  blessing.  But  in  order 
that  it  may  be  such,  at  least  three  things  must  be  prayer- 
fully considered: 

(1)  Wealth  must  be  righteously  accumulated.  No  benev- 
olent use  of  wealth  can  possibly  atone  for  unrighteousness 
in  securing  it.  This  is  an  important  matter.  The  gift 
does  not  sanctify  the  altar,  but  the  altar  sanctifies  the 
gift. 

A  million  of  dollars  given  to  some  college,  university,  or 
some  other  charitable  institution  or  enterprise  cannot  make 
the  giver  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  if  this  gift  comes  out  of 


296  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

ill-gotten  gains,  by  either  dishonest  methods  or  by  op- 
pression of  the  poor.  Just  here  we  touch  a  very  serious 
point  in  our  discussion.  It  is  getting  to  be  a  habit  to  more 
than  half  apologise  for  illicit  wealth,  if  this  wealth  is  used 
for  benevolent  ends.  The  highway  robber  becomes  a  sort  of 
semi-gentleman  if  he  treats  his  victim  with  personal  con- 
sideration, and  afterwards  sends  a  liberal  donation  to  some 
benevolent  enterprise.  The  Paul  Cliffords  and  Eugene 
Arams  are  not  all  dead  yet.  It  is  true  their  modern  rep- 
resentatives perform  a  somewhat  different  role,  but  all 
the  same  their  principles  are  not  changed.  The  man  who 
makes  a  hundred  millions  of  dollars  by  grinding  the  poor, 
or  by  dishonest  methods  in  dealing  with  his  fellow-men,  is 
none  the  less  a  scoundrel  if  he  tries  to  buy  his  way  into 
public  favour  with  large  gifts,  however  helpful  these  gifts 
may  be  to  those  upon  whom  they  are  bestowed.  Hence,  the 
first  and  perhaps  most  important  element  in  wealth  is  its 
righteous  accumulation.  Recently  there  has  been  consid- 
erable discussion  with  respect  to  the  religious  use  of  wealth 
which  has  been  unrighteously  accumulated.  Undoubtedly 
this  question  is  clearly  involved  in  the  ethical  use  of  wealth, 
and  I  hope  the  discussion  will  continue  until  many  rich 
men  will  come  to  understand  that  they  cannot  buy  their 
way  to  public  favour  by  making  a  few  bequests  of  their  ill- 
gotten  gains. 

(2)  Just  how  much  wealth  a  man  may  possess  is  a  dif- 
ficult question  to  settle.  Within  certain  limits,  the  talent 
a  man  has  for  work  and  management  must  be  a  determin- 
ing factor  in  fixing  the  bounds  beyond  which  he  must  not 
go.  All  men  cannot  be  treated  exactly  alike  in  this  respect, 
any  more  than  in  other  things.  The  man  in  Scripture  who 
had  five  talents,  made  five  talents  more,  and  the  one  who 
had  two  talents,  made  two  talents  more.  These  were  com- 
mended by  our  Divine  Lord,  while  the  man  who  had  one 


OF  THE  RICH  597 

talent  and  hid  this,  and  therefore  did  not  make  an3rthing, 
was  severely  condemned.  Where  much  is  given,  much  will 
be  required,  but  no  one  has  so  little  given  him  that  nothing 
shall  be  required  at  his  hand.  Still,  our  Lord's  parable 
has  its  limitation,  and  perhaps  purposely  so.  In  any  case, 
it  is  certain  that  He  would  not  have  justified  an  unreason- 
able capital  with  which  to  begin,  to  say  nothing  of  allowing 
an  increase  of  a  hundred  per  cent,  on  the  investment. 

Anyway  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  that  our  present  dis- 
proportionment  of  wealth  is  a  great  economic  crime.  It 
is  simply  monstrous  political  economy  that  a  few  families 
should  possess  the  larger  part  of  the  wealth  of  a  country. 
However,  as  it  is  not  my  present  design  to  offer  an  economic 
solution  of  several  questions  which  might  be  raised  at  this 
point,  I  content  myself  with  stating  the  evil  in  general 
terms  and  pass  on  to  what  seems  at  present  to  be  more 
important. 

(3)  Even  when  wealth  is  righteously  obtained  and  does 
not  exceed  a  reasonable  amount,  in  order  that  it  may  con- 
tribute to  good  character  it  must  be  used  for  noble  ends. 
Good  ethics  will  require  a  portion  of  this  wealth  to  be  ex- 
pended upon  self-culture  and  self-comfort.  Whoever  gives 
all  he  has  to  others  will  soon  have  nothing  to  give.  A  cer- 
tain amount  of  reserve  capital  is  essential  to  the  main- 
tenance of  an  income  out  of  which  benefactions  can  be 
drawn.  There  may  be  profligacy  in  giving  as  well  as  in 
spending.  Nevertheless  it  will  always  be  true  that  he  who 
sows  liberally  will  reap  liberally. 

God  not  only  loves  the  cheerful  giver,  but  it  is  only  the 
cheerful  giver  who  occupies  the  right  economic  point  of 
view.  There  can  be  no  legitimate  accumulation  which  is 
not  founded  upon  normal  giving.  All  fortunes  that  are 
made  without  a  recognition  of  this  law,  are  fortunes  which 
have  no  legitimate  place  in  the  divine  system  of  econom- 


298  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

ics,  and  consequently  they  are  fortunes  which  constantly 
threaten  the  best  interests  of  human  society. 

At  this  point  we  touch  the  very  vitals  of  the  question 
under  consideration.  What  I  have  intimated  here  helps  to 
solve  a  number  of  the  difficult  problems  with  which  the 
subject  is  environed.  It  probably  offers  the  best  solution  of 
the  limitations  of  wealth,  the  matter  which  will  soon  be 
considered  in  the  present  discussion.  It  is  probable  that  no 
limitations  at  all  need  be  insisted  upon  in  the  case  of  any 
one  who  observes  the  divine  law  of  money-making.  When 
all  methods  are  righteous,  and  when  there  is  no  desire  to 
hoard  wealth,  and  when  giving  is  always  commensurate 
with  the  law  of  supply  and  demand,  then  there  need  be 
very  little,  if  any,  concern  about  more  wealth  than  can  be 
legitimately  used  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
men.  The  man  who  honestly  makes  money  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  doing  good  with  it,  will  probably  not  abuse 
his  success  by  an  unreasonable  accumulation  of  capital. 
Hence  the  right  motive  in  money-making  cannot  be  too 
highly  esteemed  or  too  strongly  emphasised.  Let  us  now 
consider  the  question.  How  may  the  rich  be  saved  ? 

This  I  think  will  be  regarded  as  a  question  of  prime  im- 
portance; but  with  many  minds  it  is  already  settled  by 
the  practical  exclusion  of  the  rich  from  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven.  No  doubt  there  are  very  many  who  believe  it 
impossible  for  a  rich  man  to  be  saved  under  any  condition. 
This,  however,  must  be  regarded  as  a  hasty  conclusion.  We 
have  already  seen  that  a  reasonable  amount  of  wealth  is 
not  only  not  sinful,  but  is  also  actually  essential  to  the 
best  interests  of  society.  God  has  not  placed  a  premium 
upon  poverty,  nor  has  He  exalted  laziness  into  the  dignity 
of  a  virtue.  Thrift  is  the  normal  law  of  life  in  both  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  realms.  But  thrift  does  not  imply 
the  hoarding  of  immense  estates.    It  rather  implies  the 


OF  THE  RICH  299 

legitimate  distribution  of  wealth  so  that  all  may  be  par- 
takers of  its  benefits  without  any  of  that  feeling  of  degrada- 
tion which  inordinate  accumulation  begets.  Our  conten- 
tion is  that  no  one  should  be  regarded  as  rich  in  the  sense 
of  the  term  as  used  by  our  Saviour,  while  he  is  conscien- 
tiously using  a  reasonable  amount  of  wealth  as  capital  with 
which  to  do  business  for  the  Lord.  I  have  already  in- 
dicated that  this  business  includes  what  is  best  for  both  the 
individual  using  the  capital  and  the  community  which 
he  seeks  to  bless.  Such  a  person  should  never  be  called  a 
rich  man  in  any  sense  that  makes  it  hard  for  him  to  enter 
into  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

But  there  are  very  rich  people  who  may  rightfully  be  in- 
cluded in  our  Lord's  reference;  and  it  is  concerning  this 
class  that  I  wish  to  speak  in  what  follows.  That  it  is  a 
numerous  class  cannot  be  doubted,  for  I  greatly  fear  that 
most  people  who  are  regarded  as  wealthy  can  scarcely  "  read 
their  titles  clear"  in  the  conditions  I  have  stipulated, 
wherein  a  reasonable  amount  of  wealth  is  justifiable.  In 
short,  it  is  highly  probable  that  a  large  majority  of  the 
wealthy  will  fail  at  one  or  more  of  the  points  I  have  sug- 
gested as  essential  to  the  sanctification  of  wealth.  Any- 
way, there  is  an  appalling  number  of  people,  regarded  as 
wealthy,  who  certainly  need  salvation,  and  who  probably 
come  within  the  scope  of  our  Divine  Lord's  inclusion,  when 
He  said  it  was  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

However,  it  is  well  to  notice  that  this  language  does  not 
imply  the  impossibility  of  such  a  man  as  our  Lord  refers 
to  being  saved.  That  he  is  in  great  danger  of  being  lost 
cannot  be  doubted,  and  that  his  salvation  will  be  a  difficult 
undertaking,  may  at  once  be  accepted  as  certain.  But  all 
this  does  not  make  it  impossible,  for  even  our  Lord  ad- 
mitted to  his  disciples  the  possibility  of  his  salvation. 


300  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

With  God  at  least,  his  salvation  is  within  range  of  possi- 
bility. Of  course  we  are  now  considering  the  rich  man 
who  is  really  lost,  and  in  my  judgment  all  rich  men  who 
have  made  their  money  by  dishonest  methods,  and  are 
hoarding  the  same  for  selfish  purposes,  are  as  certainly 
lost  as  it  is  possible  for  any  one  to  be. 

The  first  thing  that  strikes  us  as  somewhat  remarkable 
about  all  this  matter  is  the  evident  indifference  of  the 
Christian  world  with  respect  to  the  salvation  of  the  rich. 
In  the  time  of  our  Saviour  it  was  probably  true  that  the 
salvation  of  the  poor  was  entirely  neglected.  Indeed,  it 
is  fairly  certain  that  this  class  was  practically  abandoned 
to  its  fate  with  respect  to  both  material  and  spiritual 
things.  It  was  doubtless  this  fact  which  gave  point  to  the 
message  which  Christ  sent  to  John.  Among  the  things 
specified  in  this  message  was,  "  The  poor  have  the  gospel 
preached  to  them."  This  announced  a  new  era  for  a  class 
which  had  long  been  separated  from  all  the  good  things  of 
the  present  life.  It  was  a  harbinger  of  hope  to  them. 
Nor  was  their  expectation  in  vain.  From  that  time  to  the 
present  the  chief  concern  of  Christian  workers  seems  to 
have  been  about  the  salvation  of  the  poor.  The  numerous 
missions  and  mission  churches  which  can  be  found  in  all 
Christian  lands,  as  well  as  the  great  activity  in  foreign 
mission  work,  attest  the  deep  interest  felt  in  the  salva- 
tion of  the  poor. 

Surely,  I  do  not  wish  to  abate  the  enthusiasm  with 
respect  to  this  matter  "  one  jot  or  tittle."  Indeed,  I  would 
increase  this  enthusiasm  if  I  could.  At  the  same  time  I 
think  it  is  quite  possible  to  overestimate  the  comparative 
value  of  work  in  this  direction.  I  have  already  intimated 
that  Christ's  interest  grew  out  of  the  condition  in  which 
the  poor  were  found  during  his  earthly  ministry.  He  came 
to  "  seek  and  to  save  the  lost,"  whether  rich  or  poor,  and 


OF  THE  RICH  301 

as  the  poor  were  included  in  the  lost,  they  at  once  chal- 
lenged and  obtained  his  interest,  not  because  they  were 
strategically  considered  of  more  value  to  his  cause,  but 
because  his  all-embracing  love  could  not  exclude  them. 
Doubtless  many  of  these  poor  had  little  or  no  claims  upon 
his  sympathy,  if  the  causes  which  led  to  their  poverty  had 
been  severely  taken  into  account.  Poverty  is  very  often, 
if  not  generally,  the  result  of  habits  which  are  themselves 
strongly  condemned  by  our  Divine  Lord.  It  is  unreason- 
able, therefore,  to  suppose  that  this  class  should  be  specially 
selected  as  the  recipients  of  the  divine  favour.  Evidently 
no  such  interpretation  of  facts  is  needed  in  order  to 
emphasise  the  interest  which  Christ  manifested  on  behalf 
of  the  poor  and  needy.  On  one  occasion  he  practically 
protested  against  an  unwise  use  of  means  in  helping  the 
poor.  He  said  in  effect,  "  The  poor  you  have  with  you  al- 
ways, and  consequently  you  will  have  plenty  of  opportuni- 
ties to  contribute  for  their  benefit,  but  you  cannot  have  me 
with  you  long ;  you  should  therefore  choose  the  better  part, 
and  for  the  present  give  your  preference  to  me.'' 

Such,  at  least,  is  my  interpretation  of  the  case  when  all 
the  facts  are  taken  into  consideration;  and  if  my  view  be 
correct,  then  it  is  evident  that  there  is  no  reason  why  poor, 
obscure,  and  uninfluential  people  should  be  preferred  in 
the  Kingdom  of  God  to  those  who  from  a  strategic  point 
of  view  may  be  of  much  more  value,  if  they  can  once  be 
brought  to  that  state  of  mind  and  heart  which  will  entitle 
them  to  the  hearty  fellowship  of  Christians. 

My  contention,  as  regards  this  matter,  has  far-reaching 
consequences.  Some  way  or  other  many  intelligent  Chris- 
tians have  reached  the  conclusion  that  it  is  their  duty  to 
contribute  liberally  for  the  education  of  orphans  and  in- 
digent children,  while  these  same  persons  will  not  give  a 
penny  to  provide  ways  and  means  for  the  education  of 


302  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

those  who  are  able  to  help  themselves.  The  strategy  of 
this  philanthropy  is  all  wrong.  I  do  not  say  that  they 
should  give  less  for  the  former,  but  they  ought  to  give 
more  for  the  latter.  The  most  influential  classes  of  the 
community  are  those  that  need  to  be  most  wisely  directed. 
Who  are  the  young  men  and  young  women  who  give  tone 
and  character  to  the  communities  in  which  we  live? 
Speaking  broadly,  they  are  certainly  not  those  upon  whom 
we  usually  expend  our  charities.  Indeed,  if  the  rich  were 
properly  educated  and  were  faithfully  instructed  in  the 
things  pertaining  to  the  Kingdom  of  God,  there  would  be 
little  or  no  difficulty  in  securing  all  the  means  necessary 
for  the  education  and  maintenance  of  the  poor.  The  latter 
work  lags  behind  because  the  former  is  largely  neglected. 
The  inhabitants  of  our  slums  are  left  to  perish  because 
the  dwellers  in  marble  palaces  are  thought  to  be  able  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  while  as  a  matter  of  fact  these 
"  well-to-do  '^  people  need  the  sympathy  and  help  of  Chris- 
tians probably  more  than  the  poor  do. 

As  proof  that  I  am  now  standing  upon  solid  ground,  I 
wish  to  refer  to  the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army.  As  is 
well  known,  this  Army  originated  in  East  London.  It  had 
for  its  object  specially  the  rescue  of  the  poor  in  that  thickly 
populated  district.  General  Booth  appealed  to  the  benev- 
olence of  the  people  for  a  liberal  support  in  his  efforts  to 
rescue  what  he  termed  the  "  submerged  tenth,"  or  the 
very  poor  to  be  found  mainly  in  the  slums  of  the  over- 
crowded populations  of  the  great  cities  of  England.  He 
promised,  if  a  liberal  response  was  made  to  his  call,  not 
more  than  twenty  years  should  elapse  before  poverty  would 
only  be  the  name  of  something  that  had  been,  but  was  no 
more.  The  time  is  now  past  for  the  fulfilment  of  this 
promise.  Some  of  us  at  least  know  what  the  result  has 
been.    As  a  matter  of  fact  the  whole  scheme,  so  far  as 


OF   THE   RICH  303 

making  any  appreciable  difference  in  the  extent  or  char- 
acter of  poverty  is  concemed^  has  been  a  most  signal  failure. 
That  this  Army  has  done  some  good  in  some  places  need 
not  be  disputed,  but  that  it  has  done,  upon  the  whole,  more 
harm  than  good  will  scarcely  be  doubted  by  any  one  who 
has  watched  its  progress  and  who  is  capable  of  estimating 
its  influence.  East  London,  where  the  army  originated, 
remains  practically  untouched  at  the  points  where  General 
Booth  promised  reformation,  while  the  Salvation  Army  is 
now  no  longer  remembered  by  the  inhabitants.  Probably 
there  are  not  five  hundred  members  of  the  Army  to  be  found 
in  the  whole  district,  though  there  are  not  less  than  a 
million  of  inhabitants  in  that  part  of  London  where  the 
Army  originated. 

The  reason  for  this  failure  is  not  far  to  seek.  The 
rescue  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  begins  at  the  wrong 
end  of  the  line.  Pauperism,  in  East  London,  flourishes 
because  excessive  wealth  predominates  in  West  London. 
The  slums  of  the  East  are  constantly  fed  from  the  palaces 
of  the  West.  This  being  true,  if  we  want  to  cure  the  evils 
of  poverty  we  must  stop  the  factories  where  poverty  is 
made.  It  is  the  dissipating,  illegal  struggle  for  unneces- 
sary wealth,  the  constant  grinding  of  all  that  is  worthy  in 
manhood  in  the  mills  of  the  rich  that  finally  ends  in  the 
miserable  slum  population  of  our  great  cities. 

What,  then,  is  the  remedy?  First  of  all  let  us  stop  the 
factories.  We  must,  if  possible,  reach  these  rich  people 
with  the  Gospel  of  salvation,  for  to  save  them  is  practically 
to  save  society.  This,  in  my  judgment,  is  the  problem 
which  confronts  us  for  the  new  century.  The  question  is, 
not  primarily,  shall  we  save  the  poor?  but,  shall  we  save 
the  rich?  Some  time  ago  I  was  at  a  public  meeting  in 
London  where  the  former  of  these  problems  was  discussed, 
and  I  took  occasion  to  call  attention  to  the  far  greater  im- 


304  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

portance  of  the  latter  problem.  I  tried  to  make  it  plain 
that  in  our  anxiety  to  save  the  poor,  we  were  really  over- 
looking the  salvation  of  the  rich,  and  that  this  failure  to 
perceive  the  main  and  vital  question  was  fatal  to  all  our 
missionary  efforts.  I  suggested  that  if  we  would  provide 
suitable  missions  to  the  rich,  and  expend  even  an  equal 
amount  of  effort  on  their  rescue  that  we  do  on  the  rescue 
of  the  poor,  the  result  would  be  an  astonishing  revelation 
to  all  of  us.  My  suggestion  seemed  to  startle  all  my 
hearers,  and  from  expressions  after  I  had  spoken  it  was 
evident  that  many  believed  that  I  had  furnished  a  key  to 
the  solution  of  a  very  difficult  problem.  Anyway,  I  be- 
lieve that  the  crying  need  of  the  present  day  is  a  gospel 
for  the  rich. 

But,  after  all,  it  still  remains  a  question  as  to  how  the 
rich  may  be  reached  with  any  presentation  of  the  Gospel 
that  will  redeem  them  from  their  present  seeming  indiffer- 
ence to  religious  matters,  and  help  them  to  contribute  to 
the  general  good  of  their  less  fortunate  neighbours.  It  is 
readily  conceded  that  we  have  here  precipitated  a  problem 
which  is  as  difficult  as  it  is  important.  Still  I  believe  it 
can  be  solved,  and  believing  thus,  I  am  willing  to  offer 
some  suggestions  which  may  at  least  help  to  a  fuller  and 
more  satisfactory  treatment  of  the  whole  case,  by  some  one 
who  is  able  to  grasp  all  the  issues  involved.  Let  us,  then, 
briefly  consider  the  following  points,  which  may  help  to 
throw  light  in  a  very  dark  place. 

(1)  The  strong  arm  of  the  law  ought  to  be  used  in  bring- 
ing about  a  more  equal  distribution  of  wealth.  I  am  not 
unmindful  of  the  delicacy  of  pressing  a  point  like  this.  A 
senseless  cry  for  individual  rights  has  often  completely 
drowned  the  voice  of  justice.  I  have  already  intimated 
that  there  is  nothing  so  sensitive  as  capital.  This  will  ex- 
plain why  the  problem  now  before  us  is  more  difficult  than 


OF   THE   RICH  305 

any  other  social  problem.  We  are  compelled  to  accept 
limitations  in  nearly  every  other  thing,  why  not  in  money 
getting  ?  Yet  this  last  is  the  very  thing  wherein  we  claim 
to  go  beyond  all  reasonable  endurance,  and  at  the  same  time 
we  deny  the  right  of  any  one  to  question  our  liberty.  If 
there  was  only  one  man  in  all  the  world,  he  might  have  the 
right  to  amass  as  large  a  fortune  as  he  could  make,  but  as 
society  is  now  constituted,  I  claim  that  no  one  has  a  right 
to  do  for  his  own  selfish  purposes  what  undoubtedly  works 
evil  to  his  neighbours. 

But  it  may  still  be  asked.  What  laws  are  necessary  to 
properly  regulate  the  accumulation  of  wealth?  I  would 
not  make  these  laws  wholly  arbitrary,  for  the  reason  that  I 
am  anxious  to  save  the  rich  man,  rather  than  drag  him  into 
a  state  of  mind  which  would  probably  make  his  salvation 
an  impossibility.  Righteous  laws  make  for  righteousness. 
These  are  educational  in  their  tendency,  and  though  they 
may  not  have  converting  power,  they  are  the  forerunners  of 
the  Gospel,  as  John  the  Baptist  was  the  forerunner  of 
Christ.  Legislation,  as  a  finality,  will  not  do  in  saving 
souls ;  but  as  preparing  the  way  for  salvation,  it  may  have 
considerable  value.  Even  battleships  and  cannon  balls 
have  their  place  in  breaking  down  the  fortifications  of  evil 
and  opening  gates  to  the  saving  influence  of  the  Gospel. 
Nevertheless,  in  the  present  case,  I  would  be  careful  to  start 
with  such  legislation  as  would  be  reasonable  to  all  who  are 
not  irretrievably  lost. 

As  an  example  of  what  I  would  propose,  the  following 
will  be  sufficient.  Let  there  be  laws  passed  which  will 
make  labour  and  capital  coordinates  in  every  enterprise 
where  they  are  called  upon  to  assist  each  other.  Let  the 
cooperative  system  be  compulsory  in  all  cases  where  capital 
employs  labour,  or  where  labour  seeks  to  employ  capital. 
In  short,  let  every  labourer  be  legally  entitled  to  receive  a 


3o6  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

just  proportion  of  the  income  from  the  business,  and  let 
him  also  have  the  right  to  vote  to  the  extent  of  his  income 
in  all  the  affairs  of  the  general  management. 

Of  course  I  am  not  attempting  to  work  out  this  plan  in 
detail.  It  seems  unnecessary  to  do  more  than  indicate  the 
principle  which  should  be  adopted.  Such  a  principle  as 
has  been  suggested  must  appear  reasonable  to  all  right- 
thinking  people,  and  its  educational  influence  upon  those 
who  are  now  rich  would  undoubtedly  be  very  great.  At 
any  rate,  I  should  like  to  see  this  plan  thoroughly  tried 
by  supporting  it  with  such  legislation  as  would  make  it 
obligatory  upon  both  capitalists  and  labourers. 

(2)  Much  might  be  done  through  our  colleges,  the  public 
press,  churches,  etc.,  in  creating  a  public  conscience  that 
will  so  severely  condemn  excessive  money-getting  as  will 
make  it  impossible  for  selfish  millionaires  to  live  at  peace 
in  any  well-educated  community.  At  present  these  million- 
aires are  flattered,  courted,  and  even  feasted.  They  are 
often  the  pets  of  the  communities  in  which  they  live. 
They  are  held  up  as  examples  to  the  rising  generation. 
Children  are  exhorted  to  be  like  these  gentlemen  of  fortune, 
or  if  the  exhortation  is  absent,  it  is  perhaps  because  the 
child  does  not  need  it,  as  it  generally  begins  very  early  to 
aspire  to  great  riches.  This  is  often  the  chief  goal  set  be- 
fore young  boys  and  girls.  Their  training  is  mainly  in  the 
direction  of  wealth-getting;  and  this  is  so  much  the  case 
that,  in  most  instances,  everything  else  is  subordinated  to 
this  one  end;  indeed,  everything  else  is  summoned  to  con- 
tribute to  the  accumulation  of  a  fortune. 

Now  all  this  should  be  changed ;  and  it  can  be  changed 
whenever  we  are  ready  to  preach  the  Gospel  as  faithfully 
to  the  rich  as  we  are  to  preach  it  to  the  poor.  Doubtless 
such  a  change  would  result  practically  in  a  revolution. 
But  this  is  just  what  is  needed.    Christianity  is  more  than 


OF  THE  RICH  307 

a  revelation ;  it  is  in  fact  a  revolution.  The  Apostles  were 
accused  of  "turning  the  world  upside  down/'  and  this 
accusation  was  not  untruthful.  The  charge  expressed 
precisely  what  they  did,  and  what  they  did  was  just  what 
was  needed  to  be  done.  Precisely  so  is  it  at  present. 
Christianity  as  a  revolution  has  been  impeded  in  its  progress 
by  Christianity  as  a  revelation.  We  have  stopped  to  dis- 
cuss the  origin  and  literary  character  of  the  Bible  while  we 
have  constantly  neglected  to  enforce  its  great  uplifting  and 
revolutionising  principles.  The  Gospel  is  God's  dynamite, 
and  if  it  is  allowed  to  occupy  its  proper  place  it  will  soon 
destroy  all  the  strongholds  of  sin,  and  among  these  the 
temple  of  Mammon  will  be  completely  demolished.  What 
is  needed,  then,  is  an  honest  and  efficient  system  of  educa- 
tion through  all  those  potent  instrumentalities  known  as 
school,  college,  university,  public  press,  and  the  church.  I 
mention  the  church  last,  not  because  it  is  least  in  impor- 
tance, but  because  it  ought  to  practically  voice  all  the  other 
instrumentalities  with  a  sanction  that  it  alone  can  give. 
The  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  must  lead  this 
crusade  against  the  excessive  accumulation  of  wealth. 

(3)  I  believe  it  is  possible  by  faithful  preaching  through 
all  the  instrumentalities  I  have  mentioned,  to  create  a 
better  conception  of  what  success  is,  than  is  now  held  by 
the  average  millionaire.  It  is  perhaps  impossible  to  legis- 
late against  nature.  The  desire  to  succeed  is  a  natural  in- 
stinct. But  can  it  not  be  shown  that  money-getting  is, 
after  all,  the  lowest  kind  of  success  ?  Just  here  we  touch  a 
vital  chord  in  this  whole  matter.  What  is  the  kind  of 
music  which  this  chord  rings  out  into  the  ear  of  the  world  ? 
Undoubtedly  most  of  our  ideals  are  wrong.  Many  of  us 
are  working  toward  ends  which  are  unworthy  of  us.  The 
world's  greatest  hero  is  He  who  contradicted  nearly  all  the 
maxims  and  ambitions  of  men  during  his  earthly  ministry. 


3o8  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

But  He  stands  unrivalled  to-day  in  the  affections  of  the 
people.  Do  we  look  to  millionaires,  military  heroes,  or 
great  earthly  rulers  for  examples  of  the  highest  success? 
Certainly  not;  we  look  to  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus,  the 
man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief.  Him  who  made 
Himself  of  no  reputation,  who  taught  that  he  who  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted,  and  that  though  rich,  the  highest 
duty  is  to  become  poor  for  the  benefit  of  others.  He  is  our 
highest  ideal  of  success  as  well  as  greatness,  for  this  once 
obscure  Nazarene  has  brought  the  world  practically  at  his 
feet,  and  is  to-day  the  best  example  of  a  successful  career 
to  be  found  anywhere  in  history. 

Now  how  has  this  success  been  achieved  ?  Surely  not  by 
laying  up  treasures  on  earth.  Surely  not  by  subordinating 
righteousness  to  the  low  business  of  money-getting.  Surely 
not  by  Mammon-worship.  Surely  not  by  accumulating  a 
vast  fortune  and  using  it  for  selfish  purposes.  Christ's 
success  is  wholly  owing  to  the  fact  that  He  taught  and  lived 
in  direct  opposition  to  everything  that  now  makes  it  possi- 
ble for  a  man  to  be  a  millionaire  in  this  life.  Can  we  not 
make  men  act  so  that  they  will  find  the  success  for  which 
they  sigh,  by  following  the  way  that  Christ  went?  In  my 
opinion  Christians  ought  to  make  an  earnest  effort  in  this 
direction,  and  thereby  show  their  willingness  at  least  to 
use  every  possible  means  for  the  salvation  of  the  rich. 

What  then  is  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  ?  This 
at  least:  Something  can  certainly  be  done  to  save  a  class 
that  many  have  abandoned  as  hopeless.  It  is  not  affirmed 
that  all  can  be  saved.  Neither  can  all  the  poor  be  saved. 
There  will  always  be  some  who  will  reject  any  worthy  gos- 
pel that  may  be  sent  to  them.  But  it  is  encouraging  to  be 
assured  that  many  of  the  rich  will  hear,  believe  and  obey, 
if  they  are  properly  instructed  in  reference  to  their  position 
and  responsibility.    At  any  rate,  the  issues  involved  are 


OF   THE   RICH  309 

so  momentous  that  no  Christian  ought  to  hesitate  to  make 
an  honest  and  earnest  effort  to  realise  even  more  than  I 
have  sketched  in  ideal. 

Perhaps  we  ought  not  to  expect  very  much  to  be  accom- 
plished immediately.  The  difficulties  that  must  be  over- 
come are  really  appalling.  Yet  we  must  remember  that 
"  with  God  all  things  are  possible."  This  is  our  hope. 
With  this  clear  statement  of  our  Divine  Lord  before  us,  we 
can  work  and  patiently  wait  for  results.  Little  by  little 
the  work  will  be  done.  Anyway,  the  thing  to  be  accom- 
plished is  so  important,  and  the  very  thought  of  its  accom- 
plishment so  inspiring,  that  I  feel  confident  many  will  be 
willing  to  labour  in  this  direction  when  they  are  once  per- 
suaded that  some  success  may  be  achieved. 

With  respect  to  the  evils  referred  to  in  this  lecture,  un- 
doubtedly ^^  judgment  must  begin  at  the  House  of  God." 
There  must  be  no  mistake  about  this  matter.  Some  of  us 
are  claiming  long  and  loudly  that  we  are  pleading  for  a 
return  to  primitive  Christianity.  But  is  it  not  true  that 
not  a  few  have  confined  this  plea  to  the  simple  elements  of 
the  Gospel,  which  introduce  into  Christ?  No  doubt  this 
much  is  very  valuable,  and  I  would  not  have  any  one  under- 
value the  importance  of  urging  restoration  at  this  point. 
But  is  it  not  quite  possible  to  put  so  much  emphasis  in  one 
place  that  other  things  are  practically  obscured?  While 
I  do  not  believe  that  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  contains 
everything  in  detail  that  needs  to  be  considered  with  respect 
to  the  religion  of  Christ,  I  do  believe  that  we  cannot  wil- 
fully neglect  what  that  sermon  contains  without  suffering 
immense  loss,  both  with  respect  to  our  own  character  and 
the  influence  our  lives  may  have  upon  others. 

Money-getting  for  money's  sake  is  a  crying  evil,  but  the 
time  has  certainly  come  when  Christians  at  least  should 
understand  that  they  may  "  use  the  world,  but  not  abuse 


3IO  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

it."  In  any  case  they  should  be  made  to  realise  that  they 
cannot  worship  both  God  and  Mammon.  The  laying  up  of 
treasures  upon  earth  cannot  safely  occupy  the  attention  of 
God's  children.  Life  is  too  short  and  there  is  too  much  to 
be  done  to  allow,  for  a  moment,  of  such  perversion  of  op- 
portunity. Every  Christian  is  here  to  do  good.  Of  course 
this  involves  a  proper  care  for  himself  and  his  family ;  but 
beyond  providing  for  these,  what  is  needful  for  education 
and  reasonable  comfort,  no  Christian  man  has  a  right  to 
lay  up  a  dollar.  As  has  already  been  intimated,  he  may 
retain  enough  means  for  a  reasonable  capital  on  which  to 
do  business  for  the  Lord;  but  whatever  is  beyond  this  is 
sin,  and  the  sooner  he  learns  this  fact  the  sooner  the  plea 
for  a  return  to  primitive  Christianity  will  be  understood 
and  respected. 

Of  course  it  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any  hard  and  fast 
rules  by  which  a  matter  of  this  kind  can  be  determined. 
Perhaps  it  is  better  to  leave  it  to  the  individual  conscience, 
and  that  is  precisely  why  I  have  urged  the  necessity  of 
educating  that  conscience  by  all  the  means  at  command. 
This  education  should  begin  in  our  common  schools.  It 
should  continue  through  the  colleges  and  universities.  It 
should  be  the  cardinal  feature  in  the  preaching  and  admin- 
istrations of  every  church.  If  possible,  the  state  itself, 
by  wholesome  laws,  ought  to  be  made  to  supplement  all  our 
educational  forces.  We  have  been  trying  to  save  the  poor, 
and  usually  our  pleas  for  benevolence  have  been  for  this 
purpose.  I  would  not  have  the  claims  of  the  poor  ignored, 
but  I  hope  that  the  time  is  now  come  when  the  pulpit  at 
least  will  give  no  uncertain  sound  as  to  the  need  of  saving 
the  rich.  When  the  rich  are  saved  there  will  not  be  much 
trouble  about  saving  the  poor.  Let  us  begin  at  the  right 
end  of  the  line,  and  then  the  great  work  of  saving  the 


OF   THE   RICH  311 

world  may  be  reasonably  assured  within  the  not  very  dis- 
tant future. 

It  is  admitted  the  task  is  not  an  easy  one.  The  battle 
with  our  lower  nature  is  always  hotly  contested  by  the 
forces  of  evil.  This  is  exactly  the  ground  on  which  Satan 
makes  his  most  determined  stand.  But  this  is  the  very 
reason  why  Christians  should  make  a  brave  effort  to  render 
their  attack  successful.  A  great  victory  won  at  this  point 
would  be  worth  a  thousand  ordinary  triumphs.  If  Mam- 
mon can  be  defeated,  then  the  future  success  of  Christianity 
is  practically  assured.  The  most  determined  enemy  with 
which  Christianity  has  to  contend  is  the  "  almighty  dollar/' 
and  if  this  enemy  can  be  conquered,  the  world  can  soon  be 
taken  for  Christ.  Is  it  not  time,  therefore,  that  Chris- 
tians should  inaugurate  an  earnest  campaign  for  the  salva- 
tion of  the  rich  ?  Let  every  Christian  answer  this  question 
for  himself  in  the  light  of  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  and 
in  view  of  the  overwhelming  responsibilities  involved. 

The  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  especially,  must  face  this 
question  at  the  present  time.  Will  he  do  it  heroically  ?  If 
so,  he  must  set  his  community  on  fire  by  burning  this 
question  into  all  hearts  until  avarice  and  greed  shall  be 
utterly  consumed  in  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  for  a 
righteous  division  of  wealth  and  the  salvation  of  all  men, 
whether  they  be  rich  or  whether  they  be  poor. 


XXIX 

PROBLEM  OF  SOCIAL  LIFE 

The  three  great  circles,  wherein  the  Christian  must  form 
his  character  and  exert  his  influence,  are  the  family,  the 
church,  and  what  is  called  society.  In  spite  of  any  protest 
he  may  make,  he  will  be  compelled,  more  or  less,  to  come 
in  contact  with  social  life,  or  that  circle  of  fraternity  which 
is  a  sort  of  common  ground  where  all  conditions  of  people 
may  meet  without  respect  to  anything,  except  those  con- 
ventionalities which  furnish  the  boundary  lines  of  social 
relations.  It  is  true  that  these  boundary  lines  are  some- 
times very  arbitrary  and  are  drawn  without  any  regard 
whatever  for  real  merit;  but  all  the  same  they  are  imperious 
in  their  demands,  and  when  strictly  observed,  Byron  was 
not  far  wrong  when  he  said : 

"  Society  is  now  one  polished  horde, 
Formed  of  two  mighty  tribes,  the  bores  and  bor'd." 

Nevertheless  there  is  a  sense  in  which  the  Christian 
must,  to  some  extent  at  least,  come  in  touch  with  the  social 
life  outside  of  the  church. 

It  is  certain  the  church  itself  should  become  the  social 
centre  for  all  its  members.  Indeed,  it  seems  to  have  been 
the  purpose  of  its  Founder  to  make  the  church  distinctly 
and  emphatically  a  home  for  all  his  followers.  From  this 
point  of  view  the  church  is  much  more  than  a  worshipful 
assembly.  It  furnishes  exactly  the  conditions  which  are 
needful  for  developing  a  true  social  life,  avoiding  on  one 
hand  the  exclusiveness  of  individualism,  and  on  the  other, 
the  latitudinarianism  of  what  is  called  society. 

312 


OF   SOCIAL   LIFE  313 

Nevertheless,  it  is  probably  impossible  for  all  churcli 
members  to  confine  themselves  entirely  to  their  respective 
churches,  as  regards  their  social  life;  and  consequently  it 
is  well  to  understand  just  how  far  Christians  may  go  in 
mingling  with  the  world  in  the  social  life  which  it  provides. 

That  much  of  this  social  life  is  evil  and  evil  continually 
needs  no  demonstration  to  those  who  are  acquainted  with 
it  and  its  influence  upon  the  Christian  character.  At  the 
present  time  there  seems  to  be  a  tendency  to  let  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil  practically  control  nearly  all  social 
functions,  and  then  Christians  attend  these  functions,  and 
thereby  give  respectability  to  them,  and  a  sort  of  license 
that  half  sanctifies  what  is  said  and  done.  In  short,  much 
of  the  social  life  of  the  present  time  is  a  monstrous  dissi- 
pation, a  formidable  obstacle  to  the  development  of  spiritu- 
ality in  the  churches,  and  a  destructive  influence  to  those 
activities  which  are  essential  to  the  development  of  real 
Christian  manhood  and  womanhood.  The  preacher  of  the 
twentieth  century  will  find  this  problem  standing  right  in 
the  way  of  all  his  efforts  to  make  his  ministry  a  pronounced 
success,  and  until  this  problem  is  solved  he  will  be  unable 
to  make  very  much  progress  in  either  evangelising  the  un- 
converted or  in  building  up  the  church  members  in  faith, 
hope,  and  love. 

How  then  may  this  problem  be  solved?  I  am  not  vain 
enough  to  believe  that  I  can  offer  a  certain  solution  for 
it  in  all  cases,  but  I  think  I  am  justified  in  believing  that 
the  following  suggestions  may  be  helpful  in  many  respects : 

(1)  The  preacher  must  urge  upon  his  people,  and  es- 
pecially his  young  people,  the  evil  tendencies  of  fashionable 
social  life.  He  need  not  stop  to  prove  that  the  various 
amusements  which  are  introduced  in  this  life  are  in  them- 
selves essentially  evil.  There  is  perhaps  nothing  in  itself, 
or  at  least  by  itself,  a  necessary  evil.    Practical  evil  comes 


314  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

from  association.  The  very  thing  we  call  society  is  just 
where  evil  finds  both  its  root  and  flower.  It  is  the  soil 
in  which  evil  grows.  It  is  where  our  young  people  become 
intoxicated  and  are  led  into  all  kinds  of  excesses,  simply 
because  society,  as  at  present  organised,  is  a  hotbed  for 
all  abnormal  and  evil  growth.  The  preacher  will  find  it 
necessary  to  guard  his  people,  and  especially  his  young 
people,  against  entering  too  freely  this  territory  which  is 
so  amply  provided  with  that  which  vitiates  the  taste  and 
practically  destroys  the  love  of  spirituality. 

(2)  The  preacher  must  teach  the  members  of  his  church 
the  folly  of  seeking  the  highest  possible  joy  in  these  ef- 
fervescent pleasures  which  do  not  satisfy  even  when  they 
are  tested  to  the  fulness  of  their  power,  and  do  not  last 
beyond  the  hours  of  their  transitory  indulgence.  It  is  not 
a  question,  therefore,  as  to  whether  this  particular  thing 
is  right  or  wrong  in  itself.  It  is  rather  a  question  as  to 
its  influence  upon  the  life  of  the  Christian.  Does  this 
influence  tend  towards  good  or  evil?  Does  it  tend  to 
break  down  the  best  elements  of  character?  These  are 
the  questions  which  must  be  settled,  rather  than  the  abstract 
right  or  wrong  which  is  usually  the  main  consideration 
when  our  social  customs  and  habits  are  under  discussion. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  earnest  Christian  men  and  women 
have  no  time  to  spare  for  such  frivolous  amusements  as 
are  often  the  staple  means  of  entertaining  at  nearly  all 
our  social  functions.  Time  is  a  precious  gift,  opportunity 
is  a  jewel.  To  use  this  time  wisely  and  well  and  to  seize 
this  opportunity  for  gracious  purposes  ought  to  be  the 
highest  ambition  of  every  consecrated  soul  in  the  kingdom 
of  Christ.  This  being  true,  no  Christian  can  afford  to 
lend  himself  or  his  influence  in  any  way  to  the  maintenance 
or  support  of  the  fashionable  social  life,  to  which  attention 
has  been  called.    Every  Christian  has  better  work  to  do, 


OF    SOCIAL   LIFE  315 

and  he  really  has  no  time  to  waste  in  such  trivial  pastimes 
as  are  usually  indulged  in  at  the  popular  social  functions 
of  the  day. 

(3)  The  worst  is  yet  to  be  told.  The  influence  of  the 
dissipations  of  fashionable  social  life  unfits  Christians  for 
the  enjoyment  of  spiritual  things.  We  all  know  how  a 
habit  will  generally  determine  our  tastes.  Food,  that  may 
be  repulsive  at  first,  will,  by  continued  use,  lose  its  repulsive- 
ness  and  become  grateful  to  the  taste.  Nearly  all  our  most 
vicious  habits  have  become  dominant  over  us  by  simple 
cultivation.  But  not  the  least  danger  of  this  cultivation 
is  its  tendency  to  drive  out  better  habits  and  unfit  us  for 
the  enjoyment  of  the  food  that  would  nourish  and  help  to 
build  up  real  Christian  character.  Church  services  become 
a  dreary  monotony  to  those  who  find  special  delight  in  a 
ball  room,  the  theatre,  and  the  card  table.  As  proof  of 
this  it  may  be  stated,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that 
those  professing  Christians,  who  habitually  attend  these 
places  of  amusement,  are  seldom  if  ever  regular  attendants 
at  the  prayer  meeting.     The  two  things  are  incompatible. 

Let  no  one  misunderstand  me  at  this  point.  I  recognise 
the  fact  that  men  and  women  are  social  beings,  and  they 
must  have  some  sphere  in  which  they  can  satisfy,  to  a 
reasonable  extent,  the  social  demands  of  their  natures.  A 
hermit  life  is  an  abnormal  life.  Convents  and  nunneries 
can  never  correct  the  evils  which  usually  attend  social 
indulgence.  Unlawful  repression  of  the  social  nature  is 
no  remedy  for  social  evils.  At  the  same  time  it  must  be 
remembered  that  society,  as  it  is  now  formed,  cannot  meet 
the  requirements  of  a  true  Christian  socialism.  There  is 
a  great  deal  of  truth  in  what  Bulwer  Lytton  has  said: 
"  Society  is  a  long  series  of  uprising  ridges,  which  from 
the  first  to  the  last  offer  no  valley  of  repose.  Wherever 
you  take  your  stand,  you  are  looked  down  upon  by  those 


3i6  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

above  you,  and  reviled  and  pelted  by  those  below  you. 
Every  creature  you  see  is  a  farthing  Sisyphus,  pushing  his 
little  stone  up  some  Lilliputian  molehill.  This  is  our 
world."  Such  being  the  case,  it  evident  that  the  true 
Christian  cannot  find  satisfaction  in  a  society  like  this. 
The  natural  social  sphere  of  the  Christian  is  in  the  Church 
of  God;  and  he  ought  to  find  in  this  everything  necessary 
to  meet  all  the  social  demands  of  his  nature.  To  provide 
such  a  social  life  in  the  church  as  will  do  this  is  one  of  the 
problems  which  the  twentieth  century  preacher  must  try 
to  solve.  I  believe  he  can  solve  it  if  he  is  wise;  and  the 
following  suggestions  may  be  of  considerable  value,  es- 
pecially to  those  preachers  who  have  not  had  much  ex- 
perience in  pastoral  life. 

(1)  Let  the  preacher  make  his  church  life  so  active  as 
to  give  employment  to  every  member  of  his  church.  It 
is  said  that  the  devil  can  always  find  work  for  idle  hands 
to  do.  Most  people,  and  especially  young  people,  must 
have  something  to  do.  One  of  the  constant  cries  of  a  young 
life  is  for  something  to  do.  The  mother  while  training  her 
child  hears  this  cry  constantly,  and  has  to  provide  for  it 
in  some  way  or  other.  The  child  cannot  be  left  idle. 
Neither  can  the  young  child  of  God  be  left  with  nothing 
to  do.  Let  pastors  put  the  young  people  to  work,  and  keep 
them  at  work,  and  they  will  not  care  to  run  after  the 
"weak  and  beggarly  elements  of  the  world."  Make  them 
to  realise  that  they  are  doing  noble  work  for  the  Master, 
and  they  will  find  in  this  a  happy  release  from  the  allure- 
ments of  what  is  called  society. 

(2)  Fill  the  young  people  with  the  joys  of  spiritual 
life  as  contradistinguished  from  carnal  life,  and  they  will 
not  be  long  in  losing  their  taste  for  the  latter.  In  every 
church  there  ought  to  be  special  meetings  for  the  training 
of  the  young.    At  these  meetings  it  should  be  distinctively 


OF   SOCIAL  LIFE  317 

and  emphatically  set  forth  that  young  Christians  should 
seek  the  development  of  their  spiritual  natures,  rather 
than  the  physical  and  psychical.  The  latter  need  not  be 
discounted.  The  whole  man,  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  should 
be  normally  developed,  but  not  one  of  these  out  of  pro- 
portion with  the  others.  Especially  must  the  spiritual 
have  dominence.  When  man  fell  his  spiritual  nature  went 
down;  through  his  renewal  in  Christ  Jesus  the  spiritual 
nature  is  again  elevated  to  regnancy.  This  position  must 
be  maintained,  and  everything  that  is  needful  for  this 
should  be  provided  in  our  church  life. 

(3)  In  correcting  the  evils  which  belong  to  an  inordinate 
indulgence  in  the  social  life  of  the  world,  the  preacher 
must  be  careful  not  to  create  a  reaction  which  will  run 
into  selfishness.  I  have  already  intimated  that  we  must 
have  some  outlet  for  the  satisfaction  of  our  social  natures. 
The  Apostle  Paul  was  right  when  he  said  to  the  Romans, 
"  None  of  us  liveth  to  himself,  and  none  dieth  to  himself." 
A  selfish  life  is  even  worse  than  a  life  of  illegitimate  social 
indulgence.  It  is  better  to  waste  five  talents  upon  others 
than  to  hide  one  talent  under  a  bushel.  It  is  possible  to 
consider  even  profligacy  as  a  better  life  than  an  extremely 
selfish  life  which  has  no  centre  but  self,  and  no  outlet  for 
the  helpfulness  of  others. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  really  no  place  for  selfishness  in 
the  Church  of  God.  We  are  members  one  of  another.  If 
one  member  suffers,  all  should  suffer  with  it ;  if  one  member 
is  honoured,  all  the  members  should  rejoice  with  it.  This 
being  the  fact,  there  ought  not  to  be  much  difficulty  in 
finding  the  highest  possible  pleasure  in  the  associations  of 
the  church;  and  when  the  preacher  can  bring  his  people 
to  realise  that  the  only  worthy  and  lasting  enjoyments  of 
social  relationship  can  be  found  in  Christian  society,  the 
problem  of  social  life  will  at  once  be  practically  solved. 


XXX 

THE  PEOBLEM  OF  THE  PEAYER  MEETING 

The  prayer  meeting  has  come  to  be  a  prominent  feature 
in  nearly  every  church.  Whether  this  is  wise  or  not  is 
scarcely  a  question  for  discussion  at  present.  Doubtless 
the  prayer  meeting  has  come  to  stay.  It  is  now  practically 
established,  and  established  institutions,  whatever  they  may 
be,  have  usually  a  prolonged  existence.  Anyway,  it  is  not 
my  purpose  to  advocate  a  discontinuance  of  the  prayer 
meeting,  even  though  it  should  be  conceded  that  it  is  not 
just  now  filling  an  important  function  in  the  church. 
What  I  wish  to  say  will  be  in  the  way  of  suggestion  with 
respect  to  making  the  prayer  meeting  more  useful,  and 
even  more  popular,  than  it  seems  just  now  to  be. 

(1)  The  prayer  meeting  should  be  definitely  what  its 
name  implies.  It  should  be  for  prayer  and  not  for  even 
Bible  study,  and  certainly  not  for  long  and  tedious  exhorta- 
tion. I  do  not  say  that  no  Bible  study  should  be  tolerated. 
There  are  times  when  this  may  be  a  useful  disposition  of 
the  hour,  but  this  should  never  be  such  a  leading  feature 
as  to  discount  the  devotional  feature. 

I  emphasise  the  matter  of  making  the  prayer  meeting 
distinctively  for  prayer  because  there  is  a  constant  ten- 
dency in  most  communities  to  make  it  almost  everything 
else.  I  have  known  many  men  who  will  always  speak  at 
the  prayer  meeting  if  they  have  half  a  chance,  but  who 
will  never  pray  unless  they  are  especially  asked  to  do  so, 
and  even  then  they  pray  in  a  very  perfunctory  manner. 
There  may  be  times  when  a  few  words  of  earnest  exhorta- 

318 


OF   THE    PRAYER    MEETING  319 

tion  will  be  appropriate  and  even  impressive  and  helpful, 
but  no  speaking  should  be  allowed  as  long  as  the  prayer 
feeling  runs  high.  The  presiding  oflBcer  may  by  wise 
selection  of  words  say  something  now  and  then  that  will 
help  the  flowing  tide,  but  he  must  never  speak  long  enough, 
or  allow  any  one  else  to  speak  long  enough,  to  retard  that 
tide. 

It  may  be  said  by  some  that  my  suggestion  to  confine 
the  prayer  meeting  almost  exclusively  to  prayers  cannot 
be  made  a  success,  as  most  people  will  become  weary  of  a 
sort  of  monotony  which  will  surely  prevail  if  nothing  but 
prayers  are  offered.  Of  course,  I  do  not  mean  that  no 
song  shall  be  sung,  but  even  the  singing  should  be  of  a 
very  devotional  character  and  should  be  lively  and  hearty. 
In  short,  everything  should  be  on  fire,  and  then  there  will 
be  no  difficulty  about  monotony.  I  have  known  some 
prayer  meetings  where  even  thousands  attended  and  yet 
not  a  single  speech  of  any  kind  was  made  during  the  hour. 
In  my  judgment  the  prayer  meeting  can  be  made  much 
more  effective  for  good,  and  even  much  more  popular,  if 
the  speaking  should  be  entirely  eliminated. 

(2)  I  have  been  frequently  asked  to  say  how  a  prayer 
meeting  should  be  conducted.  I  have  uniformly  answered 
it  should  not  be  conducted  at  all.  Conducting  is  one  of 
the  things  that  kill  the  prayer  meeting.  Let  the  prayer 
meeting  take  its  own  course.  Whatever  conducting  is 
necessary  should  be  done  before  the  people  assemble.  If 
the  preacher  will  impress  upon  the  church  members  the 
importance  of  spending  a  little  time  in  their  closets  before 
they  assemble  in  the  prayer  meeting,  this  will  be  an  im- 
portant preparation  for  imparting  the  fervour  which  is 
so  essential  to  make  a  prayer  meeting  what  it  ought  to  be. 
Let  the  heat  be  generated  in  every  heart  before  the  prayer 
meeting  begins,  and  then  there  will  not  be  much  difficulty 


320  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

about  sustaining  the  interest  for  even  a  longer  time  than 
is  usually  devoted  to  such  meetings. 

But  however  this  may  be,  I  cannot  emphasise  too  strongly 
the  importance  of  avoiding  anything  like  stereoperfunctity, 
if  a  prayer  meeting  is  to  be  made  an  effective  place  for 
spiritual  development  and  spiritual  enjoyment. 

(3)  It  has  been  said  the  prayer  meeting  is  the  ther- 
mometer of  the  church;  if  so,  I  am  fearful  that  in  most 
places  the  spiritual  mercury  runs  low.  Undoubtedly  a 
church  should  be  "fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord." 
And  it  should  also  "  continue  steadfastly  in  prayer."  The 
prayer  meeting  ought  to  be  a  place  where  the  fire  of  souls 
may  be  kindled  into  practically  a  glowing  furnace  of  en- 
thusiasm for  the  great  work  of  saving  men.  Indeed,  the 
best  missionary  sermon  that  can  be  preached  to  a  church 
is  an  earnest,  glowing,  enthusiastic  prayer  meeting.  I  do 
not  mean  by  this,  however,  that  the  enthusiasm  should  take 
on  too  much  objective  manifestation.  While  the  flame 
should  be  unmistakably  noticeable,  it  should  be  quiet  and 
restful  in  its  outward  expression.  "  In  quietness  and  in 
confidence  shall  be  your  strength,"  is  a  text  which  should 
be  frequently  remembered  at  the  prayer  meeting.  Dem- 
onstrations of  the  Spirit  are  not  usually  attended  by  storms 
or  earthquakes,  but  by  the  still  small  voice  which  speaks 
of  the  presence  of  God  without  unusual  excitement.  It 
is  the  steady  glow  that  is  needed,  not  the  lightning  flash, 
accompanied  by  the  thunder's  deep  portentous  roar.  The 
prayer  meeting  should  be  a  restful  place  for  weary  souls; 
a  place  where  spiritual  power  is  augmented  by  the  union 
of  the  spiritual  glow  in  each  individual  heart;  and  it  can 
be  made  such  a  place  only  by  a  prayerful  preparation  at 
Jiome,  and  the  avoidance  of  all  formality  when  the  assembly 
comes  together  for  prayer. 

Should  these  simple  suggestions  be  carefully  put  into 


OF   THE   PRAYER   MEETING  321 

practice  it  is  possible,  I  think,  to  make  the  prayer  meeting 
a  much  greater  power  for  good  than  it  is  at  present.  This 
meeting  has  not  outlived  its  usefulness;  but  it  certainly 
needs  reformation.  It  is  altogether  too  stilted,  too  per- 
functory, too  formal.  It  needs  freedom,  freedom  of  the 
Spirit,  freedom  to  be  what  it  must  be,  if  it  may  be  counted 
a  profitable  institution  of  the  church.  The  preacher  can 
do  much  toward  bringing  about  this  reformation.  He 
cannot  do  this  by  scolding  the  members  who  are  present 
because  others  stay  away.  Let  him  begin  the  reformation 
by  infusing  into  the  meeting  a  happy  spirit,  a  cheerful 
spirit,  a  spirit  that  is  eminently  hopeful,  that  looks  on 
the  bright  side  of  things,  and  is  not  constantly  reminding 
the  brethren  that  not  one-third  of  the  members  of  the 
church  are  attending  the  prayer  meeting.  This  scolding 
will  not  bring  the  results  desired.  Rather  let  the  news  go 
out  what  a  joyful  place  the  prayer  meeting  is,  and  how 
helpful  it  is  to  all  who  attend  it  with  proper  preparation 
of  heart.  This  news  will  soon  get  around  among  the  mem- 
bers, and  they  will  quickly  come  up  to  see  what  the  Lord 
is  doing  for  those  who  wait  upon  Him.  Let  the  preacher 
see  to  it  that  wings  are  given  to  this  good  news,  and  he 
will  soon  have  such  a  prayer  meeting  as  will  impress  the 
whole  community  where  the  church  is  located. 

Before  closing  this  consideration  of  the  prayer  meeting, 
it  may  be  well  to  make  a  few  suggestions  with  respect  to 
order.  While  all  that  is  purely  formal  should  be  avoided 
as  far  as  possible,  there  are  a  few  things  which  are  neces- 
sary in  any  profitable  meeting  of  the  church. 

(1)  Some  one  must  preside.  This  need  not  always  be 
the  pastor  of  the  church.  Indeed,  it  is  much  better  if 
different  members  should  take  their  turn  in  this  important 
service.  Speaking  broadly,  it  is  better  for  the  pastor  to 
select  the  president  for  each  meeting,  and  the  one  selected 


Z22  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

should  be  notified  at  least  a  week  in  advance  of  the  time 
when  he  is  expected  to  serve. 

(2)  When  the  meeting  begins  there  ought  to  be  no 
calling  upon  certain  persons  to  take  part.  The  meeting 
should  be  free  to  all,  with  the  simple  condition  that  every- 
thing shall  be  done  "  decently  and  in  order."  Generally 
there  will  be  no  difficulty  about  this  matter.  If  it  is  dis- 
tinctly a  prayer  meeting,  there  is  sure  to  be  no  difficulty. 
If,  however,  license  is  given  to  any  one  who  may  desire  to 
speak,  probably  some  one  who  cannot  speak  at  all  to  edifica- 
tion will  take  up  much  of  the  time.  In  such  a  case  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  president  to  make  short  work  of  his 
harangue  by  calling  him  down.  However,  all  this  can  be 
avoided  when  the  prayer  meeting  is  held  to  its  legitimate 
sphere. 

(3)  A  most  excellent  idea  is  to  announce  some  special 
object  of  prayer  for  each  evening.  Christians  sometimes 
pray  aimlessly.  They  go  through  a  sort  of  form,  but  they 
do  not  seem  to  know  themselves  exactly  what  it  is  they 
want.  There  is  nothing  like  specific  prayer.  We  should 
be  definite  with  God,  and  then  we  will  not  need  so  many 
words  as  we  sometimes  use.  When  our  prayers  are  specific 
they  will  always  be  short,  and  short  prayers  are  not  only 
Scriptural,  but  are  absolutely  essential  in  order  to  make  a 
prayer  meeting  a  helpful  means  to  spiritual  development. 


XXXI 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

A  GOOD  Sunday  School  may  be  to  a  church  what  a  fountain 
is  to  a  stream.  Hence,  it  may  be  the  source  whence  the 
church  receives  its  main  supply.  But  the  good  Sunday 
School  is  rather  the  exception  than  the  rule  as  respects 
our  present  church  life.  Some  of  our  Sunday  Schools  are 
worse  than  none  at  all.  The  church  would  be  better  with- 
out them. 

This  is  not  always  the  fault  of  any  one  in  particular. 
No  church  can  have  a  good  Sunday  School  without  chil- 
dren. In  some  of  our  churches  there  are  not  enough 
children  to  make  a  Sunday  School  worth  while.  Indeed, 
there  are  many  communities  where  the  number  of  children 
is  growing  "  fine  by  degrees  and  beautifully  less."  The 
old-fashioned  neighbourhood,  with  its  numerous  young  boys 
and  girls,  is  apparently  now  an  exception  in  country  life; 
and  even  in  towns  and  cities  it  frequently  happens  that 
there  are  comparatively  few  young  people  in  some  of  the 
churches. 

But  it  is  possible  to  have  a  multitude  of  children  at 
command  and  yet  have  a  very  poor  Sunday  School,  or  at 
least  one  which  results  in  not  much  real  good.  A  Sunday 
School  without  teachers  is  like  a  waggon  without  wheels; 
and  this  is  often  why  the  Sunday  School  is  practically  a 
failure.  I  do  not  mean  that  the  Sunday  School  may  not 
have  a  plentiful  supply  of  what  are  called  teachers.  I  think 
that  many  schools  have  only  pretences  for  teachers — people 
who  are  wholly  incompetent  to  do  the  work  assigned  to 


324  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

them.  In  my  judgment  the  best  talent  of  every  church 
should  be  used  in  the  Sunday  School.  If  it  be  true  that 
if  we  train  up  a  child  in  the  way  it  should  go,  it  will  not 
depart  from  this  way  when  it  grows  old,  then  surely  there 
is  no  more  important  work  to  be  found  in  the  whole  area 
of  the  religious  world  than  teaching  the  young.  But  some 
way  or  other,  many  have  concluded  that  almost  any  one 
can  teach  a  class  in  the  Sunday  School.  The  main  thing 
is  thought  to  be  to  possess  the  ability  or  tact  to  interest 
the  children  whether  they  are  instructed  or  not.  But  the 
main  diflBculty  is  not  met  by  this  loose  disposition  of  the 
case.  Many  of  the  teachers  are  not  only  incompetent  to 
instruct,  but  are  wholly  incompetent  to  keep  from  instruct- 
ing wrongly.  They  mislead  the  children.  They  teach  them 
what  is  not  true.  This  teaching  is  often  vicious,  and  does 
infinitely  more  harm  than  good.  I  think  I  can  safely  say 
that  fully  nine-tenths  of  the  average  Sunday  School 
teachers  should  be  in  classes  themselves,  rather  than  at- 
tempting to  teach  others.  This  fact  is  a  great  drawback 
to  the  usefulness  of  the  Sunday  School  of  the  present  day. 

Another  important  factor  is  the  superintendent.  Nearly 
all  our  churches  seek  a  man  for  this  place,  but  in  my 
judgment  it  would  be  generally  better  if  a  woman  should 
be  selected.  Of  course,  much  will  depend  upon  the  ma- 
terial from  which  to  select.  In  any  case  a  woman  should 
be  selected  for  assistant  superintendent.  I  am  thoroughly 
satisfied  that  women,  as  a  rule,  make  better  teachers  for 
the  children  in  the  Sunday  School  than  men.  For  adult 
classes  men  may  be  better,  but  for  the  younger  children, 
both  as  regards  teachers  and  superintendents,  women  will 
usually  do  better  work,  and  be  more  acceptable  to  the  chil- 
dren themselves. 

As  respects  these  matters,  the  preacher  cannot  be  too 
careful.    Much  of  the  responsibility  of  the  Sunday  School 


OF   THE   SUNDAY   SCHOOL  325 

ought  to  rest  upon  him.  As  a  rule  he  ought  not  to  teach 
a  class,  especially  if  the  Sunday  School  is  in  the  morning. 
Teaching  before  his  preaching  service  is  not  a  good  prepara- 
tion for  the  best  work  in  the  pulpit.  A  man  should  go 
into  his  pulpit  fresh  from  his  closet  rather  than  from  the 
Sunday  School.  If  he  works  in  the  Sunday  School,  he  will 
have  his  mind  somewhat  distracted  with  respect  to  his 
sermon,  and  he  will  often  preach  under  a  great  disad- 
vantage because  of  this  distraction.  However,  if  nothing 
else  can  be  done  to  meet  the  case,  the  preacher  must  accept 
the  responsibility  of  taking  part  in  the  Sunday  School 
work.  But  this  should  never  be  done  unless  under  the 
press  of  necessity. 

However,  the  preacher  should  frequently  visit  the  Sun- 
day School;  and  occasionally  he  should  make  short  talks 
to  the  children,  but  this  should  always  be  done  without 
sacrificing  much  of  the  time  assigned  for  class  work. 
Even  visitors  should  not  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  this 
work.  Too  much  talk  to  the  Sunday  School  is  not  healthy 
food,  and  the  sensible  superintendent  will  soon  find  that 
only  occasionally  can  even  short  speeches  from  visitors  be 
allowed. 

With  these  preliminary  observations,  I  may  now,  I 
think,  make  the  following  practical  suggestions,  so  far  as 
the  preacher's  work  is  concerned : 

(1)  The  preacher  should  have  a  training  class  or  classes 
for  the  education  of  teachers  for  work  in  the  Sunday 
School.  In  many  Sunday  Schools  there  are  already  teach- 
ers' classes,  and  these  are  usually  instructed  by  the  pastors 
of  these  churches.  This  is  very  important,  but  this  is  not 
what  I  mean.  The  preacher  should  select  from  the  church 
members  such  as  he  thinks  would  make  teachers,  but  who 
have  yet  had  no  experience  in  teaching,  and  he  should 
bring  these  together  in  such  classes  as  are  suitable  for  the 


S26  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

respective  development  of  the  members,  and  he  should 
then  train  these  classes  for  the  special  work  of  teaching 
in  the  Sunday  School,  just  as  pupils  are  trained  in  our 
normal  schools  for  the  work  which  they  are  expected  to 
do.  Just  here  is  where  our  Sunday  School  work  is  weak. 
It  makes  no  provision  for  the  actual  training  of  teachers 
before  they  enter  upon  their  work.  They  are  put  to  work 
at  once  without  any  training,  and  then  stuffed  with  lesson 
leaves  and  cheap  commentaries,  until  these  members  are 
supposed  to  be  able  to  expound  the  Scriptures,  at  least  to 
little  children.  But  really  these  little  children  are  the  very 
ones  that  need  the  greatest  care  in  teaching.  Their  tender 
minds  are  very  susceptible,  and  when  error  is  lodged  in 
these  minds  it  is  difficult  to  eradicate  it.  I  would  always 
select  the  wisest  and  most  competent  teachers  to  take 
charge  of  the  smaller  children.  The  young  men  and  young 
women  may  possibly  take  care  of  themselves,  even  though 
they  have  a  teacher  who  is  thoroughly  incompetent  to  lead 
them. 

Of  course,  this  suggestion  lays  a  heavy  work  upon  a 
pastor,  but  he  had  better  retrench  upon  his  labours  any- 
where else  rather  than  at  the  place  I  have  indicated.  But 
he  need  not  always  take  this  work  upon  himself.  In  many 
churches  there  are  both  men  and  women  capable  of  re- 
lieving the  pastor  of  this  heavy  work.  Where  this  is  the 
case  it  is  better  that  these  men  and  women  should  do  the 
work,  even  for  their  own  sake,  as  it  will  help  them  to  grow 
as  well  as  help  the  young  prospective  teachers. 

(2)  The  preacher  should  see  to  it  that  the  numerous 
nostrums  which  are  substituted  for  Bible  study  should  be 
eliminated  from  our  Sunday  Schools,  especially  where 
these  are  substituted  for  real  Bible  study.  Lesson  leaves 
and  expositions  of  the  Sunday  School  lessons  may  be  used 
wisely  and  well,  but  there  is  in  these  supplies  a  constant 


OF  THE   SUNDAY   SCHOOL  327 

invitation  to  laziness  and  inadequate  study  of  the  lessons; 
and  in  all  such  cases  the  preacher  should  interpose  and  see 
to  it  that  these  helps,  if  used  at  all,  shall  be  used  legiti- 
mately. And  any  legitimate  use  cannot  extend  further 
than  reference  to  these  helps  to  supply  information  which! 
is  needed  for  the  better  understanding  of  the  lesson.  Such 
helps  should  never  be  used  in  the  classes,  either  by  pupil 
or  teacher,  while  the  lesson  is  being  taught.  These  helps 
may  be  used  in  the  preparation  of  the  lesson,  but  should 
either  be  left  at  home  or  else  discarded  just  as  soon  as 
the  classes  assemble.  Only  the  Bible  itself  should  be  used 
during  the  hour  of  recitation,  and  this  should  be  reverently 
studied  with  the  constant  assurance  to  the  children  that 
the  Bible  is  really  its  own  interpreter;  or,  in  other  words, 
that  Scripture  must  be  used  in  the  interpretation  of  Scrip- 
ture. 

As  matters  now  stand,  the  Bible  itself,  as  a  complete 
book,  is  very  largely  excluded  from  our  Sunday  Schools. 
This,  in  my  judgment,  is  a  fatal  mistake.  Detached  and 
fragmentary  portions  of  the  Bible  not  only  beget  a  false 
system  of  study,  but  by  cutting  up  the  Bible  in  the  modern 
fashion  the  children  come  to  have  little  or  no  reverence 
for  these  detached  portions,  and  consequently  there  is  little 
or  no  impression  of  a  religious  character  made  upon  the 
young  mind. 

(3)  A  most  excellent  preliminary  to  teaching  the  classes 
is  a  meeting  of  all  the  teachers  for  special  prayer.  This 
meeting  should  be  held,  if  possible,  just  before  the  Sunday 
School  is  opened,  or  while  the  superintendent  is  conducting 
the  opening  service.  At  this  meeting  it  is  well  for  the 
pastor  to  go  over  the  lesson  very  briefly  and  indicate  some 
of  the  most  important  points  that  ought  to  be  emphasised 
in  the  classes,  but  not  much  time  should  be  taken  in  this 
way,  as  the  main  object  of  the  meeting  is  to  prepare  every 


328  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

teacher's  heart  for  the  work  that  is  to  be  accomplished. 
A  teachers'  meeting  for  the  study  of  the  lesson  is  no  doubt 
important,  where  this  can  be  secured,  but  I  would  rather 
have  a  teachers'  meeting  of  only  ten  minutes,  for  special 
prayer,  as  a  preparation  for  teaching,  than  hours  where 
simply  the  study  of  the  lesson  is  the  main  object.  Of 
course  both  of  these  are  important,  and  neither  should  be 
dispensed  with,  without  some  very  good  reason.  At  the 
same  time  if  either  must  be  omitted,  let  the  study  of  the 
lesson  take  care  of  itself,  and  by  all  means  have  the  meeting 
for  special  prayer.  At  this  meeting  every  teacher  ought  to 
be  encouraged  to  take  a  part,  and  this  will  help  to  create  the 
habit  of  prayer  with  respect  to  the  Sunday  School  work. 

It  is  also  important  for  the  teacher  to  spend  a  moment 
in  prayer  with  the  class  just  before  the  lesson  is  taken  up 
for  consideration.  If  this  is  wisely  done,  it  will  generally 
have  the  effect  to  impress  the  class  with  a  devotional 
spirit,  and  will  almost  always  assure  good  order  during  the 
teaching  period.  In  short,  no  one  is  fit  for  a  Sunday 
School  teacher  who  does  not  begin  and  end  his  work  with 
prayer  for  guidance  and  blessing. 

I  think  it  will  scarcely  be  denied  that  much  of  our 
present-day  Sunday  School  work  is  not  pervaded  by  any 
pronounced  religious  fervour.  The  whole  thing  is  largely 
formal.  Everything  is  done  in  a  sort  of  hustling  way,  as 
if  the  main  object  is  to  get  through  as  soon  as  possible. 
'Now  this  hustling  has  many  drawbacks,  and  one  of  these 
is  to  create  an  irreverent  spirit,  or  at  any  rate  a  purely 
secular  spirit;  instead  of  this  constant  hustling  or  rush 
to  accomplish  a  great  deal  in  a  very  short  time,  let  every- 
thing be  done  deliberately  and  reverently.  It  would  be 
far  better  if  a  few  minutes,  in  every  session  of  the  school, 
could  be  devoted  to  silent  meditation  and  prayer.  This 
habit  would  do  much  to  beget  order  and  reverence;  and 


OF   THE   SUNDAY   SCHOOL  3^9 

both  of  these  are  greatly  needed  in  most  of  our  Sunday 
Schools.  Indeed,  reverence  is  gradually  losing  a  place  in 
our  American  civilisation.  I  am  disposed  to  believe  that 
some  of  the  disorder  and  irreverence  in  our  churches  has 
its  origin  in  our  Sunday  Schools.  The  free  and  easy  style 
of  the  children  and  teachers  is  carried  into  the  church 
audience  room,  and  often  this  room  becomes  a  sort  of  con- 
versation hall,  before  the  service  begins,  and  this  is  some- 
times so  decidedly  the  case  that  the  preacher,  when  he 
ascends  the  pulpit,  should  have  a  gavel  with  which  to 
command  silence.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  hypercritical,  but 
I  am  sure  that  all  this  irreverence  is  not  conducive  to 
spiritual  culture;  and  as  I  believe  much  of  it  is  imported 
from  the  Sunday  School,  I  am  anxious  that  the  preacher 
of  the  twentieth  century  shall  seek  to  cultivate  in  his  Sun- 
day School  a  distinctly  reverent  spirit. 

No  doubt  a  considerable  amount  of  this  irreverence 
comes  from  both  the  words  and  music  which  are  now  used 
nearly  everywhere  in  our  Sunday  Schools.  The  words  are 
often  not  only  irreverent,  but  extremely  silly,  and  not  un- 
frequently  teach  what  is  practically  false.  But  if  the  words 
are  bad,  the  music  is  still  worse.  This  is  sometimes  im- 
ported from  the  music  halls  and  theatres,  with  only  slight 
variations,  and  the  consequence  is  the  children  cultivate  a 
musical  taste  which  soon  becomes  really  vicious,  and  stands 
as  a  constant  barrier  in  the  way  of  reverent  and  spiritual 
singing,  when  these  children  pass  from  the  Sunday  School 
into  the  church.  They  demand  the  same  kind  of  music 
in  the  church  that  they  have  had  in  the  Sunday  School. 
As  the  twig  is  bent  so  the  tree  is  inclined.  They  have 
formed  a  taste  on  a  low  plane,  and  it  is  difficult  for  them 
to  reach  a  higher  plane,  even  after  they  have  become  men 
and  women. 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  unreasonable  in  this  respect.    It  has 


330  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

often  been  said  that  children  are  children,  and  they  must 
be  treated  as  children.  In  an  important  sense  this  is  true, 
and  consequently  I  would  not  advocate  the  introduction 
of  a  style  of  music  suitable  for  a  funeral  in  our  Sunday 
Schools.  Indeed,  such  a  style  of  music  would  not  be  suit- 
able for  our  churches  except  on  funeral  occasions.  I  be- 
lieve in  a  church  music  that  is  adapted  to  the  occasion. 
Sometimes  this  music  should  be  very  lively ;  at  other  times  it 
should  be  very  solemn.  There  is  need  for  much  variety  in 
our  church  services,  and  consequently  one  style  of  music 
would  not  be  appropriate  at  all  times.  Nevertheless  no 
style  of  music  should  be  allowed  that  cultivates  irreverence ; 
and  what  is  true  of  the  church  is  equally  true  of  the  Sun- 
day School.  Many  of  our  song  books  used  in  the  Sunday 
Schools  are  unworthy  of  the  place  they  occupy,  and  are 
largely  responsible  for  the  irreverent  spirit  which  often 
manifests  itself  in  our  church  services,  as  well  as  in  the 
Sunday  School.  But  whatever  may  be  the  cause  of  the 
irreverence,  to  which  attention  has  been  called,  undoubtedly 
this  cause  should  be  removed,  if  it  is  possible  to  do  so.  If 
much  of  it  is  found  in  the  character  of  the  songs  and 
music  used  in  our  Sunday  Schools,  then  there  ought  to  be 
such  a  reformation  inaugurated  at  once  as  will  compel  a 
radical  change  with  respect  to  the  matter  of  both  the  words 
and  music.  Reverence  is  fundamental  in  all  true  worship, 
and  anything  that  destroys  this  reverence,  or  even  fails 
to  cultivate  it,  may  be  regarded  as  of  doubtful  tendency  in 
either  the  Sunday  School  or  church.  I  therefore  plead  for 
a  new  departure  with  respect  to  the  songs  and  music  which 
are  specially  intended  for  our  Sunday  School  services. 


XXXII 

PROBLEM  OF  HOME  TRAIISriNG 

This  is  a  delicate  subject  for  the  preacher  to  handle,  but 
he  must  handle  it  if  he  does  his  whole  duty  to  his  people. 
However,  there  ought  to  be  no  objection  to  advice  with 
respect  to  this  matter,  as  parents  are  instructed  in  the 
Scriptures  to  bring  up  their  children  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord.  Surely  a  command  of  this  sort 
ought  to  be  earnestly  enforced,  and  at  least  it  ought  to  be 
emphasised  very  strongly  where  it  is  needed,  as  it  is  just 
as  binding  as  any  other  command  in  the  New  Testament. 
The  delicacy  of  the  subject  arises  from  the  unwillingness 
of  many  Christians  to  receive  any  admonition,  however 
kind,  as  regards  the  rearing  of  their  children.  Many  par- 
ents regard  the  training  of  their  children  as  exclusively 
their  own  business,  and  consequently  they  are  not  willing 
to  regard  with  favour  any  outside  suggestions. 

Now  it  is  possible  to  make  instruction  in  this  matter 
offensive  to  those  for  whom  it  is  intended;  but  this  ought 
not  to  be  so,  and  will  not  be  so  where  the  preacher  confines 
himself  to  his  legitimate  duty.  But,  however  this  may  be, 
the  instruction  suggested  is  very  much  needed,  and  no 
preacher  can  afford  to  omit  it,  since  the  very  life  of  his 
church  will  often  depend  upon  it. 

Home  is  the  fountain  which  supplies  all  the  streams 
which  make  up  our  civilisation,  and  it  is  the  fountain 
whence  our  churches  receive  much  of  the  influence  which 
makes  them  what  they  are.  If  the  training  of  children,  in 
the  home  circle,  is  neglected,  this  will  soon  be  seen  in  the 

331 


332  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Sunday  School,  and  will  also  appear  as  an  important  factor 
in  the  church  life. 

Possibly  the  most  serious  defect  in  our  American  devel- 
opment is  the  abnormal  and  unworthy  life  in  many  of  our 
homes.  Certainly  too  much  stringency  in  the  execution  of 
law  should  be  avoided  in  the  rearing  of  children,  but  the 
notion  that  these  children  can  be  developed  as  they  should 
be  without  some  restrictions  upon  evil  tendencies  ought  to 
be  at  once  vigorously  excluded  as  a  factor  from  every  home 
circle. 

The  modern  tendency,  with  respect  to  family  life,  is  to 
indulge  children  rather  than  restrain  them.  Our  Divine 
Lord  teaches  that  the  first  step  in  the  direction  of  following 
Him  is  self-denial,  but  our  fathers  and  mothers  are  much 
inclined,  in  these  piping  days  of  freedom,  to  gratify  almost 
every  desire  of  their  children  rather  than  deny  them  any- 
thing. In  short,  they  are  taught  practically  self-gratifica- 
tion, as  the  chief  thing  of  life,  rather  than  self-abnegation. 

Now  all  this  is  essentially  wrong.  It  is  not  only  con- 
trary to  the  Scriptures,  but  it  is  wholly  contrary  to  the  best 
interests  of  children.  It  is  a  rare  child,  indeed,  that  does 
not  need  the  lesson  of  self-denial;  but  this  lesson  cannot 
often  be  enforced  without  a  categorical  imperative,  whether 
that  be  the  one  insisted  upon  by  the  celebrated  Immanuel 
Kant,  or  the  one,  of  even  greater  authority,  found  in  the 
New  Testament. 

It  is  one  of  the  sad  features  of  our  American  develop- 
ment of  manhood  and  womanhood  that  much  of  the  early 
training  is  without  any  very  distinctly  healthful  home  in- 
fluence. As  a  matter  of  fact,  if  things  continue  to  go  in 
the  way  they  are  now  going,  it  will  not  be  very  long  until 
the  home  circle  will  lose  its  boundary  lines  in  the  general- 
isation of  what  is  called  society.  Already  in  our  cities, 
towns,  and  villages   most  of  the  houses  are  without  any 


OF   HOME  TRAINING  333 

separating  lines,  but  form  a  sort  of  common  property  in 
which  the  neighbours'  children  come  and  go  without  any 
restraint  whatever,  frequently  not  being  required  to  even 
knock  at  the  doors  for  admission,  but  to  enter  uncere- 
moniously in  any  house  within  the  square  where  their  own 
home  is  located.  All  fences  are  removed,  and  a  common 
campus  is  provided  practically  for  every  one  alike. 

This  is  all  very  beautiful  as  an  ideal.  It  will  do  finely 
when  the  millennium  has  fairly  dawned;  but  at  present 
there  is  a  little  too  much  of  the  old  Adam  in  most  children 
for  this  plan  to  work  to  the  best  advantage  in  the  develop- 
ment of  individual  character.  In  England  every  man's 
house  is  his  castle,  and  no  outside  interference  is  allowed. 
When  I  lived  there  no  public  telephone  was  allowed  in  any 
English  house.  Many  had  private  telephones  connecting 
their  office  and  home,  but  no  Englishman  would  allow  a 
public  talking  machine  (to  use  his  own  description  of  the 
telephone)  in  his  private  residence.  This  may  seem  to 
Americans  a  very  foolish  prejudice,  whose  private  residences 
are  often  anything  else  than  their  castles.  But,  after  all, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  a  considerable  amount  of 
danger  in  these  family  telephones,  where  they  connect  with 
all  sorts  of  people.  We  are  sometimes  very  careful  about 
the  kind  of  associations  our  children  form,  and  we  not 
unfrequently  warn  them  against  talking  to  unworthy 
people.  But  these  telephones  give  them  opportunity,  and 
apparently  excuse  them  for  talking  to  any  kind  of  people 
who  may  call  them  up;  and  it  may  be  affirmed  with 
emphasis  that  sometimes  they  are  spoken  to  in  a  manner 
which  would  never  be  the  case  if  the  speaker  was  looking 
in  the  face  of  the  person  addressed.  This  is  especially 
true  of  some  of  the  conversation  which  takes  place  between 
young  men  and  young  women.  A  young  man  will  often 
say  things  through  a  telephone  to  a  young  lady  that  he 


334  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

would  not  think  of  saying  when  she  is  looking  at  him  face 
to  face.  It  is  distance  that  lends  enchantment  to  the  ear, 
and  it  is  this  fact  that  half  apologises  to  the  young  man 
for  his  impudent  speech. 

However,  I  suppose  the  telephone  has  come  to  stay  in 
our  American  homes.  What  then  must  be  done  about  it? 
Undoubtedly  it  should  be  placed  under  control,  just  as 
everything  else  should  be  placed  under  control,  so  that  it 
will  not  become  an  instrument  of  evil  instead  of  an  instru- 
ment of  good.  Children  should  not  be  allowed  to  talk 
indiscriminately  through  the  telephone,  any  more  than  to 
talk  indiscriminately  face  to  face  with  people.  There  should 
be  a  careful  guard  over  all  association  of  this  kind,  for 
there  is  more  danger  in  it  than  there  is  in  even  letter 
writing,  and  yet  many  parents  are  very  careful  about  the 
people  with  whom  their  children  correspond. 

All  this  must  receive  the  attention  of  the  wise  preacher 
if  he  expects  to  cultivate  in  his  community  a  healthful  life 
in  the  homes  of  his  people. 

But  how  shall  the  preacher  deal  with  these  somewhat 
delicate  questions?  It  is  difficult  to  give  specific  instruc- 
tions so  as  to  meet  every  case,  but  something  in  a  general 
way  may  be  suggested  that  will  perhaps  be  helpful  in  most 
cases. 

(1)  Let  the  preacher  deliver  addresses  both  to  parents 
and  the  young  men  and  women  of  his  church  and  con- 
munity.  In  these  public  addresses  he  can  say  some  things 
that  he  would  hesitate  to  say  if  he  were  applying  them  to 
an  individual  case  in  private.  Several  of  these  special  ad- 
dresses ought  to  be  delivered  every  year  while  in  all  the 
sermons  preached  throughout  the  year,  the  ethical  condi- 
tions involved  in  the  development  of  a  true  home  life 
should  be  emphasised  very  strongly. 

(2)  Occasionally  special  talks  to  the  young  people  at 


OF   HOME   TRAINING  335 

exclusively  young  people's  meetings  will  be  very  helpful 
in  creating  an  atmosphere  among  the  young  that  will 
largely  contribute  to  the  home  life  which  is  desirable. 
Generally  these  young  people  are  easily  impressed,  and  will 
be  grateful  to  a  faithful  pastor  who  may  speak  earnest 
words  to  them  with  respect  to  a  true  life.  I  have  usually 
found  young  people  even  anxious  to  be  good  rather  than 
to  be  bad.  Many  of  them  are  constantly  engaged  in  a 
severe  struggle  to  keep  themselves  in  the  line  of  a  worthy 
Christian  life.  They  will,  for  the  most  part,  try  to  take 
the  advice  of  a  preacher  who  will  administer  his  admoni- 
tions in  the  right  spirit.  But  it  is  useless  for  him  to  de- 
nounce in  the  pulpit  or  anywhere  else  certain  habits  of 
the  young  unless  he  does  it  in  the  right  spirit,  and  at  the 
same  time  suggests  a  more  excellent  way.  If  the  pastor 
will  put  these  young  people  to  work  in  the  Master's  vine- 
yard, and  inspire  them  with  the  nobility  of  this  work,  as 
compared  with  the  worthless  things  on  which  they  fre- 
quently spend  their  time  and  strength,  it  will  generally 
not  be  long  imtil  these  young  people  will  be  practically 
free  from  any  temptation  to  go  astray  in  following  the 
world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil. 

(3)  In  all  this  matter  the  preacher  will  find  the  main 
difficulty  is  with  the  parents.  He  will  also  find  that  fre- 
quently a  private  interview  with  these  parents,  with  respect 
to  their  children,  will  be  necessary  in  order  to  meet  the 
case.  Sometimes  even  a  private  interview  will  not  succeed. 
However,  it  is  always  worth  a  trial,  and  if  kindly  under- 
taken it  will  do  no  harm  even  if  it  does  no  good.  Undoubt- 
edly the  preacher  must  meet  the  responsibility  in  some 
way,  for  one  badly  governed  family  will  often  inoculate  a 
whole  neighbourhood  with  unruly  children  and  evil  con- 
ditions that  are  sure  to  result  in  a  hindrance  to  the  devel- 
opment of  any  worthy  Christian  life,  if  the  final  result  does 


336  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

not  come  to  a  complete  disaster  in  all  that  relates  to  the 
best  life  of  the  whole  community. 

Parents  in  some  way  or  other  must  be  made  to  realise 
the  importance  of  bringing  up  their  children  in  the  way 
they  should  go,  so  that  when  they  are  old  they  will  not 
depart  from  that  way.  This  is  the  wisdom  of  Solomon, 
and  it  has  never  been  improved  upon  since  his  day.  It  is 
just  as  true  now  as  it  was  when  it  was  first  spoken,  and 
consequently  the  preacher  should  emphasise  the  fact  that 
he  will  hold  parents  responsible  largely  for  either  the  good 
or  evil  in  the  life  of  their  children.  When  this  is  done 
everywhere,  when  the  preacher  cannot  rest  under  his 
responsibility  until  he  has  faithfully  dealt  with  this  ques- 
tion in  all  of  its  relations,  then,  and  not  until  then,  will 
there  be  hope  that  the  future  of  our  American  home  life 
will  distinctly  and  emphatically  contribute  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  our  church  life,  and  through  the  church  to  the 
best  interests  of  our  whole  civilisation. 

It  may  be  well  for  a  moment  to  consider  the  relation  of 
home  training  to  the  Sunday  School.  Is  it  not  true  to  a 
large  extent  that  many  parents  feel  no  special  responsi- 
bility for  training  their  children  at  home  in  religious 
matters,  simply  because  they  expect  them  to  receive  this 
training  in  the  Sunday  School?  I  do  not  wish  to  be 
misunderstood  at  this  point;  and  yet  truth  compels  me  to 
say  that  the  modern  Sunday  School  idea  is  making  it  easy 
for  parents  to  neglect  the  religious  training  of  their  chil- 
dren at  home.  This  ought  not  to  be  so,  but  that  it  is  so, 
will  not  be  questioned  by  any  one  who  has  thought  seriously 
upon  the  matter.  When  the  Sunday  School  was  first 
inaugurated  it  was  intended  to  gather  up  those  children 
who  had  no  homes,  or  whose  home  life  gave  no  promise  of 
religious  instruction.     This  was  a  noble  conception,  and 


OF   HOME   TRAINING  337 

it  at  once  became  popular  with  those  who  saw  the  need  of 
reaching  the  class  for  whom  the  Sunday  School  was  in- 
tended. But  our  modern  Sunday  School  embraces  the 
children  in  the  homes  of  all  the  members  of  the  church, 
and  the  consequence  is  that  instead  of  the  Christian  parents 
of  these  children  instructing  them  in  the  Bible  at  home, 
they  are  sent  off  to  the  Sunday  School  to  receive  this  in- 
struction, and  often  they  are  put  into  classes  where  the 
teachers  themselves  have  really  no  knowledge  whatever  of 
the  Bible,  and  are  therefore  wholly  incompetent  to  teach 
these  children  in  any  way  that  will  contribute  to  their 
spiritual  development. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  lamentably  true  that  only  a 
comparatively  few  religious  families  have  even  family  wor- 
ship, and  in  case  where  this  worship  is  a  regular  thing,  it 
is  often  conducted  in  a  way  which  is  of  little  help  to  the 
children,  even  if  it  is  to  the  adults  who  are  present.  I 
know  of  nothing  more  important  in  the  development  of  a 
true  religious  life  in  a  community  than  a  wise,  reverent, 
and  informative  family  worship.  Such  a  worship  should 
include  not  only  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  in  which 
all  the  children  should  participate,  but  should  also  include 
a  plain,  practical  exposition  of  the  Scriptures,  especially 
as  relates  to  conduct;  so  that  the  children  may  have  a 
practical  lesson  each  day  from  the  Word  of  God  to  guide 
them  in  all  their  relations  to  other  people.  Such  a  service 
can  be  made  not  only  very  helpful,  but  also  very  interest- 
ing to  the  children  themselves,  if  parents  will  only  take 
the  trouble  to  prepare  for  such  a  service.  Nor  will  the 
whole  benefit  be  with  the  children.  The  parents  them- 
selves will  receive  from  such  a  service  a  most  helpful 
stimulus  for  their  own  spiritual  life.  Furthermore,  such  a 
home  training  will  greatly  facilitate  the  best  interests  of 


338  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

our  Sunday  Schools,  for  both  parent  and  child  will  then  be 
somewhat  prepared  to  participate  in  a  cooperative  service  in 
the  study  of  the  Word  of  God,  such  as  the  Sunday  School 
very  efficiently  provides.  But  until  this  home  training  has 
received  proper  attention,  it  will  be  impossible  to  make  our 
Sunday  Schools  what  they  ought  to  be. 


XXXIII 

THE  PEOBLEM  OF  SOCIETIES  IN  THE  CHURCH 

The  multiplication  of  societies  in  the  church  is  a  marked 
feature  of  twentieth  century  Christianity.  The  man  who 
heard,  in  the  announcements  from  a  certain  pulpit,  eleven 
society  meetings  for  the  week,  was  perhaps  justified  in 
asking  where  the  church  was  in  that  community.  Un- 
doubtedly, in  some  communities,  at  least,  the  societies  of 
the  church  occupy  the  chief  place,  while  the  church  itself 
is  very  much  in  the  background.  The  fact  that  these 
societies  are  multiplying  almost  everywhere,  instead  of 
decreasing,  suggests  a  problem  which  calls  for  very  careful 
consideration,  and  it  is  one  which  the  twentieth  century 
minister  will  have  to  face,  no  matter  where  he  may  locate, 
for  there  is  scarcely  any  place  now  where  a  church  exists 
that  these  societies  are  not  predominant  features  in  the 
church  life. 

Now  it  is  certainly  not  wise  to  denounce  this  tendency 
until  the  reason  for  it  is  carefully  considered.  This 
reason  will  generally  be  found  in  a  sincere  desire  to  help 
the  church  work.  There  may  be  cases  where  the  leading 
motive  is  an  unsanctified  ambition  on  the  part  of  some 
church  members  who  wish  to  manage  things  in  their  own 
way,  without  much  regard  for  the  best  interests  of  the 
church.  But  I  believe  that  these  cases,  if  they  exist  at 
all,  are  very  exceptional.  I  think  it  can  be  safely  stated 
that  an  overwhelming  majority  of  such  societies  are  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  meeting  conditions  in  the  church  life 
which  it  is  believed  cannot  be  met  in  any  other  way.  In 
many  places  church  life  becomes  stereotyped.  The  officers 
of  the  church  are,  for  the  most  part,  selected  from  the 


340  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

older  men,  and  these  are  frequently  out  of  sympathy  with 
the  young  life  that  is  growing  up  around  them.  The  re- 
sult is  the  young  people  will  either  cease  attending  the 
church  altogether  or  else  they  must  form  a  society  where 
they  can,  in  some  degree,  at  least,  find  an  opportunity  for 
congenial  association  and  useful,  spiritual  employment. 

It  is  readily  admitted  that  this  effort  of  the  young 
people  to  provide  for  their  spiritual  growth  and  enjoyment 
is  not  always  productive  of  the  best  results.  But  it  is  un- 
questionably an  honest  effort  to  meet  an  imperative  need, 
and  it  ought  to  be  treated  as  such  by  the  pastor  and  church 
where  this  effort  is  made. 

No  doubt  the  Young  People's  Christian  Endeavour  move- 
ment had  its  origin  in  some  such  need  or  supposed  need 
as  has  been  indicated.  This  movement  has  done  a  great 
deal  of  good,  but  it  has  not  been  entirely  free  from  evils. 
In  some  places  it  has  practically  taken  the  place  of  the 
church,  while  in  others  it  has  absorbed  nearly  all  the  young 
element  of  the  church,  and  has  failed  to  bring  this  element 
into  active  support  of  the  church  itself.  These,  however, 
are  exceptional  cases,  and  should  not  be  taken  as  fair  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Christian  Endeavour  movement.  I  think 
it  cannot  be  successfully  denied  that  the  movement  as  a 
whole  has  had  a  salutary  influence  upon  the  church  life  of 
the  twentieth  century ;  but  all  the  same  the  movement  needs 
to  be  carefully  handled,  or  else  in  many  places  it  will  be  of 
little  use  to  the  churches,  if  not  practically  a  disadvantage 
to  them. 

There  is  another  reason  why  societies  multiply  in  the 
churches.  Much  of  our  modern  church  life  is  stereotyped. 
Even  the  services  are  cold  and  formal.  There  is  scarcely 
an  exception  to  this  rule.  Stereoperfunctity  reigns  every- 
where. Many  people  get  tired  of  this  round  and  round 
system.    They  sigh  for  a  change.    Human  nature  cannot 


OF   SOCIETIES   IN   THE   CHURCH       341 

stand  a  strain  of  this  kind  for  any  length  of  time.  There 
must  come  an  end  to  it,  and  consequently  a  movement  is 
started  in  the  church  to  organise  a  society  where  some 
things  will  be  considered  that  the  church  as  a  whole  regards 
with  indifference.  Usually  this  effort  ends  in  the  forma- 
tion of  a  new  society,  and  so  the  multiplication  of  societies 
goes  on,  almost  ad  infinitum. 

Now  it  must  be  admitted  that  much  of  this  tendency  is 
an  evil.  Nor  should  it  be  encouraged  unless  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  bring  the  whole  church  into  line  with  the  things 
that  ought  to  be  accomplished  by  it.  The  church  itself 
is  the  pillar  and  support  of  the  truth.  It  is  declared  in 
the  Scriptures  to  be  the  body  of  Christ,  and  it  is,  therefore, 
the  only  legitimate  organisation  through  which  the  work  of 
Christ  can  be  accomplished  on  this  earth.  I  know  what 
will  be  said  in  reply  to  this.  It  will  be  said  these  church 
societies  are  not  outside  of  the  church,  but  in  it,  and  are, 
therefore,  simply  parts  of  the  church  itself.  To  a  cer- 
tain extent  this  is  undoubtedly  true,  but  there  is  a  sense  in 
which  these  organisations  may  become  rivals  of  the  church, 
and  it  is  precisely  this  danger  to  which  I  am  calling  atten- 
tion. I  am  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  this  is  the  day 
of  organised  effort  in  every  enterprise  and  that,  therefore, 
these  organisations  in  the  church  must  be  regarded  as  helps 
rather  than  hindrances.  But  this  statement  begs  the 
whole  question.  Even  allowing  that  these  organisations 
are  started  with  the  best  intention,  it  does  not  follow  that 
they  are  best  for  the  church,  nor  is  it  certain  that  this  is 
the  best  way  to  meet  any  diflBculty  that  may  arise  in  our 
church  life.  If  the  same  enthusiasm  which  is  expended 
in  organising  and  carrying  forward  these  separate  organisa- 
tions could  be  manifested  in  improving  the  church  life 
as  a  whole,  is  it  not  probable  that  these  separate  organisa- 
tions would  not  be  needed  at  all  ?    But  however  this  may 


342  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

be,  it  is  evidently  improper  to  multiply  societies  in  the 
church  for  everything  that  needs  to  be  done.  The 
twentieth  century  preacher,  when  he  learns  how  to  use 
every  member  of  his  church  wisely  and  well,  will  have 
no  need  for  these  numerous  societies  which  just  now 
seem  to  be  so  fashionable  in  nearly  every  community. 
When  the  church  itself  shall  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  a 
vital  and  interesting  public  service,  and  helpful  devotional 
exercise,  and  at  the  same  time  provides  definite  work  for 
every  member  of  the  church  to  perform,  under  the  direction 
of  the  church  officers,  there  will  then  be  no  need  for  any 
of  the  societies  that  are  now  occupying  such  prominent 
places,  to  say  nothing  of  the  multiplication  of  these  so- 
cieties which  has  become  so  prominent  a  feature  of  twen- 
tieth century  Christianity. 

It  may  be  said  that  my  ideal  church  cannot  be  realised 
in  the  present  day.  Probably  this  is  true.  I  am  fearful 
that  it  is  altogether  too  true.  Nevertheless,  it  is  worthy 
of  an  honest  effort  on  the  part  of  every  twentieth  century 
preacher  to  solve  this  problem  of  church  life  in  a  sane 
manner,  and  this,  I  believe,  can  be  done  only  when  the 
church  itself  is  made  the  central  and  authoritative  organ- 
isation for  all  Christian  worship  and  work. 

However,  until  the  ideal  is  reached,  it  may  be  possible 
to  use  subordinate  organisations  within  the  church  so 
that  they  will  help  to  reach  the  ideal  which  is  set  in  the 
'New  Testament  Scriptures.  But  if  such  organisations  are 
admitted  at  all,  they  should  always  be  what  they  claim  to 
be,  subordinate,  and  should  therefore  be  in  subjection  to 
the  church,  and  under  the  control  of  the  proper  officers  of 
the  church.  When  this  is  not  the  case  there  is  constant 
danger  that  these  societies  may  become  centres  of  dis- 
integration instead  of  centres  of  unification  and  strength 
to  the  church. 


OF   SOCIETIES   IN   THE   CHURCH       343 

Of  course  the  preacher  must  be  guided  in  such  matters, 
as  in  all  other  things,  first  of  all  by  his  New  Testament,  and 
certainly  by  that  sanctified  common  sense  which  is  always 
an  important  factor  in  the  management  of  the  affairs  of 
the  church.  No  very  hard  and  fast  lines  can  be  drawn 
with  respect  to  these  societies  to  which  attention  has  been 
called.  What  may  be  good  for  one  community  may  be  an 
evil  in  another.  Environment  in  this  respect,  like  in  every 
other  matter,  must  be  taken  into  account;  and  just  here  is 
where  the  preacher  will  need  all  of  that  sanctified  common 
sense  which  is  always  and  everywhere  so  important  a  factor 
in  a  successful  ministry. 

At  the  same  time  I  cannot  emphasise  too  strongly  the 
importance  of  bringing  the  church  up  to  that  beautiful 
ideal  described  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  Ephesians.  In 
this  ideal  church  "The  whole  body  fitly  joined  together, 
and  compacted  by  that  which  every  joint  supplieth,  accord- 
ing to  the  effectual  working  in  the  measure  of  every  part, 
maketh  increase  of  the  body  unto  the  edifying  of  itself  in 
love.''  Here  we  have  a  church  described  which  is  an 
organism  rather  than  an  organisation.  It  is  presented 
under  the  figure  of  the  human  body,  and  is  practically  the 
same  description  as  found  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  First 
Corinthians.  In  both  cases  this  body  of  Christ  is  self- 
edifying.  It  contains  within  itself  every  element  neces- 
sary to  successful  development,  under  the  great  head  of 
the  church,  viz.,  Jesus  Christ  our  Divine  Lord. 

At  present,  however,  this  beautiful  ideal  church  is  per- 
haps not  realised  in  any  community  in  all  its  perfection, 
and  until  it  is  realised,  it  may  be  necessary  to  use  societies 
in  the  church  as  crutches  upon  which  the  lame  and  im- 
potent churches  of  the  present  day  can  be  supported,  and 
from  this  point  of  view  a  reasonable  number  of  societies 
may  be  partially  justified,  but  certainly  none  of  these  so- 


344  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

cieties  ought  to  exist  if  the  churches  themselves  were  what 
they  ought  to  be. 

Let  us  take  a  single  illustration,  and  this  will  suffice  to 
make  my  meaning  clear.  It  has  come  to  be  fairly  well  un- 
derstood that  Free  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  and  like  societies, 
which  are  outside  of  the  church,  are  actually  more  efficient 
in  taking  care  of  their  members  than  the  church  is.  Now 
what  would  be  the  result  if  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
should  everywhere  be  the  first  on  the  ground  when  there  is 
need  of  help  with  respect  to  any  of  its  members?  Un- 
doubtedly in  such  a  case  the  influence  of  the  church  would 
be  immeasurably  increased.  It  is  a  sad  fact  that  in  most 
instances  of  this  kind  the  church  lags  behind  even  the 
societies  of  the  world,  and  often  does  not  appear  upon  the 
scene  at  all  in  any  helpful  way. 

Now  this  is  certainly  not  according  to  the  mind  of  Christ, 
and  if  the  church,  as  a  body,  acting  together,  will  not  do 
the  work  that  needs  to  be  done,  surely  no  one  ought  to 
object  to  any  combination  of  members  of  the  church  who 
will  do  something  of  what  the  church  itself,  as  a  whole, 
ought  to  do  in  order  to  meet  the  very  purposes  for  which 
it  exists  in  the  world. 


XXXIV 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  CHURCH  MUSIC 

Is  it  paradoxical  to  say  that  the  most  inharmonious  thing 
in  church  life  is  that  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  most  har- 
monious? It  has  almost  passed  into  a  proverb  that  the 
choir  of  a  church  is  always  a  storm-centre  from  which 
proceeds  a  considerable  amount  of  lightning,  even  if  this 
should  not  be  accompanied  with  volleys  of  thunder.  These 
discords  in  the  choir  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  equivalent 
to  the  discords  which  occur  in  all  well-composed  music  in 
order  to  relieve  the  monotony.  The  discords  of  a  choir  do 
not  generally  confine  themselves  to  the  choir  alone.  These 
discords  are  sure  to  get  into  the  church,  and  very  fre- 
quently, instead  of  relieving  monotony,  they  create  it 
throughout  a  whole  community,  because  there  is  so  much 
talk  about  what  the  choir  says  and  does  that  very  little  else 
is  heard,  and  especially  is  this  the  case  where  the  church  is 
located  in  a  small  town  or  village.  In  such  a  place  the 
choir  becomes  a  potent  influence  in  giving  tone  to  the  social 
life,  and  this  tone  is  usually  controlled  by  the  dominating 
note  of  discord. 

Now  this  is  no  fancied  picture  of  the  modem  choir;  it 
is  a  faithful  delineation  of  the  real  thing  as  it  exists  in 
many  communities.  It  is  only  right  to  say  that  there  are 
not  a  few  exceptions  to  this  general  rule.  In  some  places 
the  choir  is  a  blessing  to  the  church,  and  an  educator  of  the 
people  generally.  It  helps  to  raise  the  standard  of  music 
in  the  community ;  it  emphasises  the  importance  of  culture ; 
it  accentuates  the  value  of  musical  training,  and  demon* 

345 


346  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

strates  the  power  of  the  human  voice  to  give  expression  to 
holy  emotions  and  spiritual  aspirations  through  the  de- 
lightful service  of  song.  But  it  may  be  said,  without  the 
fear  of  contradiction,  that  this  is  exceptional  in  the  case  of 
choirs.  For  the  most  part  these  choirs  are  anything  but 
beneficial  in  the  development  of  either  piety  or  efficiency, 
if  they  are  not  altogether  a  real  disadvantage  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  church.  What,  then,  must  be  done?  At 
least  one  of  three  things. 

(1)  A  choir  may  be  selected  from  the  members  of  the 
church,  with  due  respect  to  the  religious  character  of  each 
person  who  is  invited  to  become  a  member  of  the  choir. 
In  no  case  is  it  either  good  policy  or  good  religion  to  invite 
outside  parties,  or  to  hire  outside  help  of  any  kind  to  sing 
in  the  church,  or  in  any  way  to  become  responsible  for 
the  church  music.  The  moment  this  is  done,  the  whole 
matter  of  the  church  music  becomes  largely  a  mere  pro- 
fessional performance ;  for  usually  the  secular  element  will 
predominate  in  the  choir  and  practically  pervert  the  sing- 
ing from  a  worshipful  purpose  to  that  of  a  purely  musical 
entertainment.  However,  if  all  the  members  of  the  choir 
are  members  of  the  church,  or  at  least  members  of  some 
church,  it  is  possible  to  use  a  choir  for  leading  the  music 
so  as  to  promote  rather  than  hinder  devotional  feeling. 
OBut  this  whole  matter  of  the  choir  needs  the  most  careful 
and  prayerful  attention  of  the  pastor  and  the  ofiicers  of 
the  church.  In  no  case  must  the  matter  be  left  without 
the  superintendency  of  the  official  board,  for  the  moment  the 
choir  is  allowed  to  take  its  own  course,  without  oflBcial  di- 
rection from  the  church,  that  moment  will  it  become  a 
menace  to  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  congregation,  as 
well  as  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  spiritual  growth.  Hence 
I  cannot  too  strongly  recommend  that  all  members  of  a 
church  choir  shall  be  real  Christians,  and  generally  they 


OF   CHURCH   MUSIC  347 

should  be  members  of  the  church  where  they  sing.  Out- 
side elements  will  almost  invariably  become  centres  of 
weakness,  and  these  should  be  avoided  if  possible  in  the 
formation  of  a  choir  for  the  purpose  of  leading  the  service 
of  song  in  public  worship. 

(2)  A  much  better  way  than  is  usual  in  most  churches 
is  to  select  some  of  the  best  singers  of  the  church  and 
place  them  together,  where  they  can  have  a  controlling  in- 
fluence in  leading  the  music.  In  this  way  they  will  be  able 
to  help  the  members  of  the  congregation  generally  in  sing- 
ing the  songs  selected,  and  in  time  they  will  educate  the 
people  up  to  a  better  standard  of  church  music.  But  both 
the  organist  and  the  singers  should  be  Christians  of  un- 
doubted character,  for  if  they  are  not,  the  conspicuous  place 
which  they  are  invited  to  occupy  will  only  emphasise  any 
defects  in.  the  character  which  they  are  known  to  possess. 
Unworthy  people  in  a  choir  will  be  just  as  readily  repro- 
bated by  the  church  attendants  as  will  be  the  case  of  an 
unworthy  minister  in  the  pulpit,  though  in  the  former  case 
much  less  may  be  said  about  the  matter  than  in  the  latter 
case.  However,  the  public  will  always  form  its  own  esti- 
mate of  people  who  are  singing  the  Gospel,  as  well  as  in  the 
case  of  those  who  are  preaching  the  Gospel.  When  singers 
are  using  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  sacred  words  of 
hymnody,  while  their  lives  are  known  to  be  a  direct  contra- 
diction of  the  words  they  are  singing,  it  is  impossible  to 
make  such  singing  helpful  to  those  who  hear.  A  lie  uttered 
in  the  choir  is  even  worse,  if  possible,  than  a  lie  uttered 
in  the  pulpit.  It  is  bad  enough  to  tell  a  lie  anywhere,  but 
it  seems  to  me  it  only  adds  to  the  iniquity  of  the  thing 
when  we  set  music  to  it  and  sing  it. 

(3)  Perhaps  the  best  way  after  all  to  provide  for  the 
singing  that  is  needed  in  our  churches  is  to  employ  a 
precentor  who  shall  stand  before  the  congregation  and  lead 


348  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

the  singing,  either  with  or  without  an  organ.  This  pre- 
centor may  be  either  a  man  or  a  woman,  but  in  either  case 
the  voice  must  be  controlling,  so  that  the  whole  congrega- 
tion may  be  easily  led.  Occasionally  in  some  instances  a 
good  cornet  player  may  take  the  place  of  a  precentor,  if 
such  a  player  can  be  found  in  the  church.  But  no  matter 
whether  it  be  the  human  voice  or  instrument  that  leads, 
the  whole  congregation  should  be  urged  to  take  part  in  the 
song  service;  and  when  the  songs  and  music  are  selected 
with  a  view  to  spiritual  worship,  rather  than  to  exhibiting 
the  musical  talent  of  the  singers,  .little  diflSculty  need  be 
experienced  with  the  average  congregation  in  producing  a 
helpful  public  service. 

But  the  selection  of  both  the  songs  and  the  music  is  of 
great  importance.  Many  of  the  songs  now  used  in  the 
public  services  of  the  churches  are  really  unworthy  of  any 
place  in  church  hymnody.  Some  of  these  songs  are  actu- 
ally not  much  better  than  boastful  expressions  of  a  piety 
which  has  no  place  in  the  development  of  a  religious  char- 
acter whose  fundamental  motive  is  supplied  by  that  teach- 
ing of  Christ  which  says,  "  He  that  humbleth  himself  shall 
be  exalted."  Think  of  any  humble,  self-restraining  soul 
singing  in  real  earnestness  that,  when  the  saints  are  num- 
bered in  the  everlasting  Kingdom,  he  will  certainly  be 
there.  All  such  songs  ought  to  be  at  once  expunged  from 
our  hymn  books.  Indeed,  the  church  needs  no  greater 
service  than  that  which  would  use  the  scissors  vigorously 
with  respect  to  a  large  number  of  h3rtnns  which  have  become 
canonised  in  our  modern  hymn  books. 

Much  of  the  music  which  is  used  in  our  song  service  also 
needs  to  be  remanded  to  the  Codex  expurgatorius.  Doubt- 
less our  Sunday  Schools  are  responsible  for  both  the  words 
and  music  of  many  songs  that  are  now  sung  in  the  public 
worship  of  the  churches.    The  children  are  taught  to  sing 


OF  CHURCH   MUSIC  349 

what  is  called  lively  music,  but  which  is  really  no  music  at 
all,  but  a  sort  of  jingle  with  which  the  children  keep  time, 
and  scream  out  something  at  intervals  between  the  time 
beats,  without  making  the  first  semblance  of  music  for 
either  the  head  or  the  heart.  The  whole  thing  is  practically 
a  burlesque  on  the  very  name  of  song,  and  certainly  ought 
never  to  be  transferred  from  the  Sunday  School  into  the 
church,  even  if  allowed  to  remain  in  the  former  for  at  least 
a  time.  However,  I  do  not  believe  that  such  music  or  songs, 
as  are  very  generally  used  in  our  Sunday  Schools,  should 
have  a  place  even  there,  to  say  nothing  of  a  place  in  the 
churches.  But  whether  this  view  of  the  matter  be  correct 
or  not,  so  far  as  the  Sunday  School  is  concerned,  it  certainly 
is  true  and  ought  to  be  strongly  emphasised,  so  far  as  the 
church  is  concerned.  The  crying  need  of  our  song  service 
in  the  churches  is  a  more  dignified,  earnest,  and  spiritual 
worship.  We  need  to  "  sing  with  the  spirit  and  with  the 
understanding,"  and  we  certainly  do  not  need  to  sing  in  the 
hop-skip-and-jump  style  of  much  of  our  modern  church 
music.  In  many  places  the  old  chorals  have  gone  into  dis- 
use, while  the  new  style  has  practically  usurped  the  place  of 
all  worshipful  strains  such  as  ring  through  every  note  of 
Old  Dundee,  Uxbridge,  and  Old  Hundred. 

But  there  is  another  side  to  this  matter.  If  I  were  to 
attempt  to  indicate  in  a  brief  sentence  what  I  believe  to  be 
the  greatest  hindrance  to  a  real  spiritual  worship  in  the 
public  services  of  the  churches,  I  would  say  that  it  is  the  in- 
troduction into  the  worship  of  a  song  service  which  is  chiefly 
controlled  by  a  music  standard  rather  than  by  a  Scriptural 
standard.  There  are  usually  in  every  community  a  certain 
number  of  music  experts,  and  these  are  wholly  dissatisfied 
with  any  musical  performance  in  the  churches  which  does 
not  in  some  degree  at  least  satisfy  their  taste.  Now  it 
often  happens  that  these  music  experts  are  not  members 


350  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

of  the  church  at  all,  and  even  where  they  are  members  they 
are  so  dominated  by  their  musical  ideals  that  ordinary  sing- 
ing is  almost  painful  to  them,  even  if  they  can  endure  it  at 
all.  This  fact  at  once  creates  a  conflict  between  taste  and 
worship,  and  this  conflict  often  results  in  subordinating 
the  worship  in  order  to  meet  the  standard  of  these  experts 
and  satisfy  their  music  taste. 

Now,  this  is  the  fatal  rock  on  which  many  churches  are 
practically  wrecked.  These  musicians  or  cultivated  sing- 
ers are  usually  few  in  numbers  when  compared  with  the 
whole  church ;  but  the  whole  church  is  subordinated  to  the 
wishes  of  these  music  experts,  and  while  the  song  serv- 
ice will  now  meet  their  requirements,  it  misses  largely  a 
majority  of  the  people  who  are  in  attendance. 

I  am  well  aware  as  to  what  will  be  said  in  reply  to  all 
this.  It  will  be  said  that  a  fine  class  of  music  in  the 
church  will  be  educational,  and  will  do  much  to  raise  the 
standard  of  music  in  the  church.  This  is  no  doubt  true 
to  a  certain  extent,  and  if  a  very  high  class  of  music  is 
necessary  in  a  church,  undoubtedly  some  apology  can  be 
made  for  giving  up  the  church  music  into  the  hands  of 
those  who  are  competent  to  teach  the  high-class  music  to 
be  desired.  But  is  such  music,  as  is  here  indicated,  really 
needed  in  our  church  services  ?  I  certainly  do  not  advocate 
a  low  standard  of  church  music  in  order  to  spiritual  wor- 
ship. I  do  not  think  it  helps  that  worship  when  the  music 
is  mostly  a  discord.  Nevertheless  I  am  convinced  that 
there  is  a  happy  medium  which  may  take  the  place  of  both 
the  extremes  to  which  attention  has  been  called.  A  difficult 
and  classical  style  of  music  is  not  at  all  necessary  in  order 
to  have  a  very  high  class  of  music.  Simplicity  in  this 
respect  is  just  as  necessary  in  order  to  spiritual  worship  as 
the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ  is  necessary  in  order  to 
make  the  world  realise  his  true  greatness.    The  truest 


OF   CHURCH   MUSIC  351 

eloquence  is  always  manifested  through  the  simplest  lan- 
guage, and  the  noblest  music  that  has  ever  been  sung  in 
the  churches  is  that  which  may  be  readily  sung  by  the 
humblest  followers  of  Christ.  I  am  not,  therefore,  plead- 
ing for  a  song  service  which  lacks  dignity,  because  it 
violates  every  acknowledged  rule  of  good  singing,  but  I 
am  pleading  for  a  song  service  simple  enough  for  every  one 
to  use,  and  at  the  same  time  not  violate  any  of  the  im- 
portant rules  of  music.  I  do  not  wish  anything  introduced 
into  the  churches  that  would  represent  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes'  organ  grinders,  where  he  says : 

You'd  think  they  were  crusaders  sent. 

From  some  infernal  clime, 

To  pluck  the  eyes  of  sentiment, 

And  dock  the  tale  of  rhyme. 

To  crack  the  voice  of  melody, 

And  break  the  legs  of  time. 

No  doubt  a  considerable  portion  of  the  singing  in  our 
churches  both  "cracks  the  voice  of  melody"  and  "breaks 
the  legs  of  time,"  but  as  bad  as  this  is,  it  is  not  much 
worse  than  a  mere  musical  performance  which  has  no  heart 
behind  it,  and  which  is  purely  a  musical  entertainment 
rather  than  a  worshipful  expression  of  the  soul's  deepest 
emotions  with  respect  to  spiritual  things. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  any  point  of  view,  it  is 
evident  that  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  will 
have  his  work  cut  out  for  him  when  he  attempts  to  deal 
with  the  music  problem  of  his  church.  Nevertheless,  he 
must  deal  with  it,  if  the  song  service  is  to  be  made  helpful 
in  developing  the  devotional  life  of  his  people,  and  the 
sooner  he  deals  with  it  from  the  spiritual  point  of  view, 
the  better  it  will  be  for  the  success  of  his  ministry. 


THE  PKOBLEM  OF  EVANGELISM 

A  CHURCH  without  the  evangelistic  spirit  is  practically 
a  dead  church.  The  first  command  in  the  great  commis- 
sion which  Jesus  gave  to  his  Apostles  is  to  "  Go  into  all 
the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  The 
Gospel  message  must  be  declared  to  the  people  if  they  are 
to  be  saved,  for  "the  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth."  But  the  Gospel  can- 
not be  preached  to  the  nations  unless  the  evangelists  go  to 
these  nations  and  carry  the  good  news  to  them.  But  how 
can  these  evangelists  go  except  they  be  sent?  This  is  the 
Apostle  Paul's  final  conclusion  with  respect  to  the  impor- 
tant matter  of  evangelising  the  world;  and  this  at  once 
throws  the  responsibility  back  on  the  church  as  the  organ- 
ism through  which  this  great  work  must  be  accomplished. 

Every  preacher  should,  therefore,  make  his  church  a 
centre  of  evangelistic  fervour  and  power,  sending  out  the 
Gospel  message  into  every  nook  and  corner  of  his  parish,  as 
well  as  supporting  every  effort  to  carry  the  good  news  to 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  Nothing  short  of  this 
high  enthusiasm  for  souls  will  meet  the  responsibility  of 
any  church  that  claims  to  be  a  factor  at  all  in  the  great 
work  of  converting  the  world  to  Christ. 

But  this  very  important  work,  this  imperative  work,  calls 
for  the  greatest  care  in  the  selection  of  men  to  do  it,  as 
well  as  in  the  selection  of  methods  by  which  it  is  to  be 
accomplished.  To  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist  is  to  rise 
to  the  highest  power  of  service,  and  no  one  can  do  this 


OF   EVANGELISM  353 

work  who  has  not  special  qualifications  for  it;  and  among 
these  qualifications  must  be  reckoned  the  wisdom  which  is 
from  above,  which  is  "  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle, 
easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without 
partiality  and  without  hypocrisy."  Parts  of  this  general 
description  should  receive  special  emphasis,  for  no  preacher 
of  any  kind  needs  this  wisdom  from  above  more  than  does 
the  evangelist  who  practically  stands  between  the  dead 
and  the  living  in  seeking  to  save  the  lost.  He  should, 
therefore,  have  first  of  all  a  clear  conception  of  what  the 
message  is  he  is  to  preach.  There  should  be  no  confusion 
in  his  mind  as  to  what  the  Gospel  really  is,  and  he  should 
preach  this  Gospel  with  all  the  power  he  possesses,  as  well 
as  rely  upon  that  divine  help  which  is  promised  to  every 
faithful  minister  of  the  Gospel. 

It  may  be  said,  I  think,  without  the  fear  of  contradic- 
tion, that  the  last  twenty-five  years  have  developed  a  new 
species  of  evangelism  as  compared  with  previous  years  in 
the  history  of  the  church.  Perhaps  no  one  is  more  re- 
sponsible for  this  new  development  than  the  late  D.  L. 
Moody.  Both  in  this  country  and  in  England,  he  and  Mr. 
Sankey,  in  their  day,  led  the  forces  of  this  new  evangelism. 
It  is  therefore  worth  while  to  consider  in  what  respects 
these  men  secured  the  marked  success  which  attended  their 
evangelistic  services.  Looking  at  the  matter  from  simply 
the  human  side,  I  think  it  may  be  safely  affirmed  that  their 
success  depended  upon  at  least  the  following  facts: 

(1)  All  of  their  arrangements  were  characterised  by 
good  business  management.  They  never  commenced  work 
at  a  place  until  they  had  carefully  surveyed  the  whole  field 
and  planned  wisely  with  respect  to  organisation.  They 
practically  assumed  that  the  Lord  is  always  ready  to  do  his 
part,  and  the  only  difficulty  in  the  way  of  success  is  to  be 
found  on  the  human  side,  not  on  the  divine  side.     Con- 


354  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

sequently,  they  were  careful  to  arrange  everything  in  a 
businesslike  manner  before  beginning  their  work,  and  then 
after  beginning,  they  never  lost  sight  of  good  business 
methods. 

Now  this  is  evidently  a  very  important  matter.  There 
is  a  certain  side  of  Christian  work,  and  especially  evan- 
gelistic work,  which  calls  for  the  wisest  and  best  arrange- 
ment of  forces,  and  nothing  will  insure  success  more  readily 
than  careful  attention  to  the  matter  of  good  business 
methods.  Perhaps  the  old  notion  that  somehow  or  other 
God  will  bless  any  kind  of  evangelistic  work,  no  matter 
how  imperfectly  done,  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  evangel- 
istic work  was  not  very  successful  prior  to  the  time  of  the 
Moody  and  Sankey  meetings. 

(2)  So  far  as  the  preaching  was  concerned,  the  success 
of  Mr.  Moody  depended  largely  upon  his  appreciation  of 
the  real  purpose  of  the  Gospel.  He  evidently  gave  very 
little  attention  to  the  mere  education  of  men.  His  whole 
purpose  in  preaching  was  to  save  men,  to  make  them  realise 
the  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  to  point  them  to  that  Saviour 
as  the  source  of  all  life  and  blessedness.  He  did  not  deal 
in  "  glittering  generalities "  about  a  "  Christian  civilisa- 
tion," a  "  high  culture,"  or  a  "  scientific  harmony  of 
things."  Nor  did  he  for  a  moment  trust  a  legal  self-right- 
eousness; but  he  thundered  the  anathemas  of  the  law 
against  all  ungodliness,  and  then  showed  the  only  way  of 
escape,  viz.,  that  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  This  gave  his 
preaching  a  pointed,  present,  and  emphatic  application  and 
made  every  man  feel  that  he  was  not  only  personally  ad- 
dressed, but  that  he  was  also  personally  responsible  to  lay 
hold  of  the  offers  of  mercy  which  are  so  graciously  proposed 
in  the  Gospel. 

It  is  not  wonderful  at  all  that  this  direct  preaching,  in 
precisely  the  line  of  the  purpose  of  the  Gospel,  produced 


OF   EVANGELISM  355 

the  very  results  which  were  found  to  follow  Mr.  Moody's 
ministry.  The  people  for  a  long  time  had  been  entertained 
by  tropes  and  figures;  they  had  been  stuffed  with  science 
and  saturated  with  literature;  they  had  been  entertained 
with  discourses  on  the  "  perfection  of  human  nature,"  "  the 
mighty  progress  of  the  race,"  and  the  "  grandeur  of  our 
civilisation,"  and  many  had  come  to  conclude  that  sin  is  a 
myth  and  unrighteousness  only  a  slight  irregularity  which 
will  be  rectified  by  and  by  when,  in  the  struggle  of  life,  the 
doctrine  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  has  been  fully  canon- 
ised in  the  popular  faith.  Mr.  Moody's  preaching  smashed 
right  through  these  vain  conceits  of  half-informed  sceptics 
and  latitudinarian  ministers,  and,  what  is  still  worse,  self- 
conscious  hypocrites  who  had  stolen  the  livery  of  Heaven 
in  which  to  serve  the  devil. 

(3)  Another  important  element  of  success  in  Mr. 
Moody's  preaching  was  the  prominence  he  gave  to  Scripture 
reading.  He  was  probably  not  a  very  safe  exegete.  He 
certainly  had  very  little  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  hermeneu- 
tics.  It  is  probable  that  some  of  his  teaching  was  far  from 
satisfactory  when  tested  by  the  acknowledged  canona  of 
criticism.  I  think  it  quite  likely  his  theology,  if  he  had  any, 
was  not  always  in  harmony  with  the  high  position  which 
he  gave  to  the  Bible ;  nevertheless  the  people  very  generally 
forgot  his  crudities  in  the  presence  of  his  overtowering 
faith  in  God's  eternal  truth.  It  was  not  so  much  what  was 
learned  at  his  Bible  meetings  that  was  important,  as  that 
the  meetings  were  actually  held  and  the  Word  of  God  mag- 
nified as  the  lamp  to  our  feet  and  the  light  to  our  pathway. 
In  the  vain  speculations  of  a  half-earnest  pulpit,  the  im- 
portance of  God's  Word  had  been  largely  lost  sight  of,  and 
with  this  degeneracy  had  come  the  corresponding  weak- 
ness in  spiritual  life  and  activity  which  must  always  neces- 
sarily follow.    Mr.  Mood/s  effort  was  to  cut  loose  from  the 


356  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

shallow  nonsense  with  which  the  souls  of  men  had  been 
fed,  and  then  to  urge  upon  the  people  the  importance  of 
receiving  the  "  unadulterated  milk  of  the  Word  "  that  they 
might  grow  thereby.  With  him  there  was  no  higher  appeal 
than  the  plain  teachings  of  the  Bible,  and  whether  he  was 
always  consistent  with  this  faith  or  not,  he  made  the  im- 
pression upon  the  people  at  any  rate  that  the  Word  of 
God  is  the  only  source  of  authority  in  religious  matters. 
This  at  once  gave  dignity,  warmth,  and  power  to  all  his 
utterances,  and  made  his  preaching,  which  otherwise  would 
have  been  commonplace  indeed,  almost  irresistible  before 
the  vast  audiences  he  addressed.  In  fact  so  prominent  a 
feature  was  this  in  his  ministry  that  his  style  was  dogmati- 
cal to  excess,  and  would  scarcely  have  been  endured  had  it 
not  been  for  the  abundant  evidence  he  gave  of  the  sincerity 
and  the  unselfishness  with  which  he  laboured.  But  even 
these  considerations  would  not  have  redeemed  his  style 
from  just  criticism,  had  he  not  constantly  assumed  to  speak 
only  as  the  oracles  of  God. 

In  this  respect  he  furnished  a  lesson  to  the  preacher  of 
the  twentieth  century.  Undoubtedly  the  modern  pulpit 
would  be  greatly  benefited  by  substituting  the  Word  of  God 
for  the  thin  sentimentalisms  and  the  stupid  platitudes 
about  the  beauties  of  science,  and  the  glories  of  human 
achievement  which  furnish  the  staple  of  so  much  preaching 
in  these  days.  The  people  have  been  fed  upon  this  in- 
sipid stuff  until  almost  any  other  thing  is  relished  by  them; 
but  when  they  are  called  to  the  earnest  pleadings  of  God's 
Word,  to  its  solemn  sanctions  of  right  and  fearful  denuncia- 
tions of  wrong,  it  is  not  strange  that  a  great  awakening  is 
almost  sure  to  follow  and  that  many  will  cry  out  "What 
must  we  do  to  be  saved?"  In  view  of  these  facts  ought 
we  not  more  and  more  to  believe  in  that  Scripture  which 
says,  "  He  that  hath  my  Word,  let  him  speak  my  Word 


OF  EVANGELISM  357 

faithfully.  What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat?  saith  the 
Lord." 

(4)  Another  important  element  of  Mr.  Moody's  success 
will  be  found  in  the  fact  that  he  fixed  for  the  sinner  with 
definite  certainty  the  time  when  he  would  be  accepted  of 
God.  This  had  been  a  grave  fault  with  many  of  the  old 
methods  among  revivalists.  The  old  style  was  to  bring  the 
sinner  to  the  mourners'  bench  and  then  labour  with  him 
from  time  to  time,  until  he  himself  was  satisfied  that  he 
had  *'  gotten  through,"  to  use  the  phraseology  adopted  by 
the  workers  in  such  meetings.  This  often  left  the  sinner 
in  constant  doubt  as  to  his  actual  situation.  He  realised 
that  he  was  a  sinner;  he  knew  he  wanted  to  be  saved;  he 
was  quite  well  satisfied  that  Jesus  is  the  Saviour  of  sinners ; 
but  somehow  or  other  he  could  not  fix  the  time  when  he  was 
certainly  accepted.  He  was  told  to  consult  his  feelings; 
but  he  found  these  variable  and  wholly  unreliable  in  a 
matter  of  so  much  importance.  Hence  he  was  left  as  a  sort 
of  pendulum  swinging  between  his  hopes  and  his  fears,  now 
on  one  side,  and  now  on  the  other,  until  after  becoming 
weary  of  the  struggle,  he  turned  away  from  the  whole  thing 
in  disgust,  and  often  became  a  confirmed  infidel. 

Mr.  Moody  preached  that  the  sinner  may  have  rest  im- 
mediately;  that  there  need  be  no  agonising  about  the 
matter;  that  the  sinner's  salvation  is  already  secured,  and 
all  that  is  necessary  on  his  part  is  to  reach  forth  his  hand 
and  appropriate  it.  He  need  give  little  or  no  attention  to 
feeling ;  his  own  subjective  state  has  nothing  to  do  with  his 
acceptance,  if  only  his  faith  in  Christ  is  firmly  fixed;  for 
the  moment  he  trusts  in  Jesus,  that  moment  is  he  assured 
that  his  sins  are  pardoned  and  his  name  written  in  the 
Lamb's  book  of  life. 

Now  the  theology  and  soteriology  of  this  view  of  the 
matter  may  not  be  entirely  satisfactory  to  one  who  under- 


358  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

stands  the  whole  plan  of  salvation  and  the  government  of 
God;  but  it  was  a  great  improvement  upon  the  old  way  of 
treating  the  sinner  by  making  him  believe  that  he  could, 
by  a  sort  of  lengthened  penance  at  the  mourners'  bench,  or 
in  some  other  way,  propitiate  God,  and  thereby  secure 
pardon  simply  on  the  ground  that  God  will,  after  a  while, 
be  merciful  to  the  sinner,  if  the  sinner  will  only  patiently 
wait  God's  good  time  and  pleasure. 

(5)  No  doubt  the  singing  of  Mr.  Sankey  had  consider- 
able influence  in  giving  popularity,  and  even  contributed  a 
certain  amount  of  power,  to  Mr.  Moody's  meetings.  This 
was  especially  the  case  with  these  meetings  in  England. 
The  Sankey  singing  was  practically  a  new  departure  as  re- 
gards the  service  of  song  in  evangelistic  work.  It  had  a 
certain  amount  of  novelty  in  it,  and  was,  therefore,  attrac- 
tive simply  because  it  was  outside  of  the  ordinary  course 
of  things. 

His  method  has  been  followed  by  nearly  all  modern 
evangelists,  and  consequently  the  singing  of  solos,  quar- 
tettes, and  lively  hymns,  set  to  music  of  easy  comprehen- 
sion, may  now  be  regarded  as  a  sure  accompaniment  of  all 
evangelistic  efforts  under  the  direction  of  what  are  known 
as  popular  evangelists. 

As  I  have  already  spoken  freely  with  respect  to  the  use 
of  hymnody  in  public  religious  services,  I  need  say  nothing 
more  now  than  to  point  out  the  fact  that  while  these  popu- 
lar hymns  and  somewhat  trivial  music  may  have  a  sort  of 
present  attractiveness,  and  even  influence  for  good  upon 
the  great  audiences  usually  assembled  in  evangelistic  serv- 
ices, at  the  same  time  it  ought  to  be  stated  with  emphasis 
that  the  final  effect  of  such  singing  is  very  generally  for 
evil  rather  than  good.  It  is  like  trying  to  build  up  the 
system  with  an  attractive  food  which  is  relished  by  the 
appetite  but  gives  little  or  no  strength,  and  unfits  the  sys- 


OF  EVANGELISM  359 

tern  and  taste  to  receive  that  which  is  actually  nourishing. 
It  is  like  literature  of  the  sensational  kind,  which,  while  it 
pleases  for  the  moment,  never  fails  to  vitiate  the  taste  for 
that  which  is  helpful  in  developing  a  normal  intellectual 
growth. 

(6)  After  all,  it  may  he  said  that  the  success  of  Mr. 
Moody's  meetings,  as  well  as  the  meetings  of  other  modern 
evangelists,  may  be  traced  to  the  cooperation  of  the  various 
evangelical  churches.  Nothing  emphasises  the  impor- 
tance of  the  federation  of  the  churches  more  than  the 
value  of  cooperation  in  evangelistic  work.  Without  such 
cooperation  Mr.  Moody's  work  would  have  been  a  failure. 
It  is  equally  true  of  all  modern  evangelists.  When  these 
evangelists  are  working  specially  for  certain  denomina- 
tional churches,  the  cooperation  of  these  churches  is  ab- 
solutely essential  to  any  worthy  success.  Indeed,  as  the 
union  of  God's  people  is  absolutely  necessary  in  order  that 
the  world  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  sent  of  the  Father,  it 
would  seem  that  in  the  providence  of  God,  revival  meetings, 
such  as  were  held  by  Mr.  Moody  and  evangelists  that  have 
followed  him,  are  intended  to  be  practical  illustrations  of 
the  power  of  cooperation  in  converting  the  world  to  Christ ; 
and  in  this  respect  the  evangelism  of  the  present  day  is 
worth  all  it  costs,  though  in  some  respects  it  needs  to  be 
very  vigorously  reformed  before  it  can  accomplish  the  work 
which  must  be  done  in  order  that  the  whole  world  may  be 
saved  by  the  Gospel. 

(7)  It  will  scarcely  be  denied  that  these  revival  meet- 
ings reach  some  people  who  would  perhaps  never  be  touched 
by  the  regular  minister  of  a  place.  Indeed,  this  is,  or 
ought  to  be,  the  main  purpose  of  evangelistic  work.  It  is 
to  reach  the  unsaved  who  are  either  locally  outside  of  the 
opportunities  of  the  pastor  or  who  are  not  easily  influenced 
by  him.    There  is  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  Mr.  Moody's 


36o  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

meetings  in  England  accomplished  a  good  work  in  this 
respect.  The  conversion  of  such  a  man  as  Professor  Drum- 
mond  was  worth  all  the  Moody  meetings  cost,  if  nothing 
else  had  been  done,  as  it  is  highly  probable  that  Professor 
Drummond  would  not  have  been  converted  at  all  through 
the  ordinary  church  services  with  which  he  was  familiar. 

It  is  also  true  that  in  many  places  even  in  church  com- 
munities, churches  may  be  found  where  there  is  no  regular 
pastor  at  all;  and  in  such  places  wise  evangelistic  services 
may  revive  the  cause  and  even  prepare  the  way  for  the  loca- 
tion and  permanent  usefulness  of  a  regular  preacher.  But, 
after  all,  it  must  be  understood  that  purely  evangelistic 
services  should  usually  be  planned  with  a  view  to  reaching 
communities  that  have  no  regular  pastors,  for  this  is  un- 
doubtedly the  Scriptural  idea  of  the  travelling  evangelist, 
though  the  evangelist  of  the  New  Testament  performed 
certain  ofiBcial  duties,  such  as  setting  the  churches  in  order, 
that  are  not  recognised  at  present  as  duties  at  all  belonging 
to  his  office. 

Having  now  noticed  briefly  some  of  the  advantages  of 
modern  evangelism,  I  will  conclude  what  I  have  to  say  on 
the  subject  by  indicating  some  evils  attending  evangelistic 
meetings  and  also  some  improvements  that  ought  to  be 
made  in  order  that  revival  meetings  may  reach  their  highest 
usefulness  in  modern  religious  work. 

(1)  The  whole  Gospel  must  be  preached.  Most  evan- 
gelists deal  faithfully  with  the  subject  of  sin.  They  preach 
that  men  are  sinners  and  therefore  cannot  be  saved  with- 
out the  pardoning  mercy  of  God.  They  also  preach  that 
Jesus  is  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  and  that  it  is  only  through 
Him  that  the  sinner  can  secure  the  pardon  of  his  sins.  But 
they  generally  fail  to  tell  the  sinner  in  biblical  style  just 
how  he  is  to  receive  remission  of  sins.  After  convincing 
him  that  he  is  a  sinner  and  that  Jesus  is  his  Saviour,  they 


OF  EVANGELISM  361 

then  tell  him  that  the  moment  he  believes  in  the  Saviour 
that  moment  does  he  receive  the  pardon  of  all  his  past  sins. 
But  the  sinner  often  does  believe  in  Jesus,  fully  realises  that 
he  does  believe  in  him,  and  yet  somehow  or  other  he  thinks 
that  his  sins  are  not  yet  pardoned.  Now  the  Gospel  method 
is  much  better  when  the  whole  of  the  Gospel  is  preached. 
It  is  undoubtedly  right  to  preach  that  men  are  sinners  and 
that  Jesus  is  the  only  Saviour  of  sinners,  but  it  is  also  most 
important  to  tell  these  sinners  just  how  their  Saviour  saves 
them.  This  the  Apostles  of  Jesus  Christ  never  failed  to 
do,  and  yet  the  exact  language  of  the  Apostles  is  nearly  al- 
ways suppressed  by  many  modern  evangelists,  and  con- 
sequently the  apostolic  method  of  giving  assurance  to  the 
sinner,  as  regards  both  time  and  place  with  respect  to  his 
salvation,  has  practically  lost  its  efficiency,  by  leaving  out 
some  of  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel  where  they  are  ex- 
pressed in  the  New  Testament.  In  this  way  one  of  the 
strongest  features  in  apostolic  evangelism  is  practically 
completely  ignored  in  much  of  the  evangelism  of  the 
present  day. 

(2)  But  a  still  more  objectionable  feature,  if  possible, 
of  modern  evangelism,  is  the  use  which  is  made  of  prayer. 
Now  I  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood  at  this  point.  I 
have  the  very  greatest  confidence  in  the  power  and  efficacy 
of  prayer.  No  one  can  emphasise  too  decidedly  the  im- 
portance of  prayer  as  a  means  of  Christian  growth,  and  as 
a  help  in  all  our  work  for  God.  Nevertheless,  we  cannot 
give  our  assent  to  such  a  perversion  of  prayer  as  is  all  too 
evident  in  modern  revivalism.  But  I  have  less  respect  for 
this  perversion  of  prayer  as  I  find  it  under  the  administra- 
tion of  Mr.  Moody,  because  much  of  Mr.  Moody's  preaching 
was  in  direct  antagonism  to  his  theory  of  conversion.  He 
preached  a  present  salvation.  He  preached  that  the  sinner 
is  responsible  to  God  for  the  manner  in  which  Jh^ treats 


Z(>2  PREACHER  PROBLEMS 

the  Word  spoken.  He  preached  that  the  Gospel  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation,  and  relied  upon  the  cross  as 
that  by  which  the  world  is  to  be  crucified  to  the  sinner,  and 
the  sinner  to  the  world.  And  yet,  he  turned  away  from 
this  plain.  Scriptural  teaching  to  the  very  foolish  fancy 
that  the  sinner  can  do  nothing,  after  all,  until  God  shall, 
in  some  mysterious  way,  by  special  interposition,  lead  him 
to  a  knowledge  of  Christ.  Hence  prayer  was  substituted 
for  obedience ;  the  Throne  of  Grace  was  called  into  requisi- 
tion to  take  the  place  of  definite  action  on  the  part  of  the 
sinner.  Thus  the  Gospel  plan  was  perverted,  and  the  sin- 
ner at  last  left  to  the  unscriptural  doctrine  that  God  will 
save  him  simply  in  answer  to  prayer. 

But  this  doctrine  has  an  almost  ludicrous  side.  It  leads 
to  excesses  which  become  ridiculous,  even  in  the  eyes  of 
those  who  practise  them.  Think  of  having  two  or  three 
hundred  requests  for  prayers,  and  reading  them  to  a  large 
audience  from  slips  of  paper,  and  then  some  one  to  bear 
these  requests  before  the  Throne  of  Grace!  Think  of 
this  as  a  serious  matter  in  the  light  of  Scriptural  teaching, 
and  who  does  not  see  at  once  that  it  is  an  entire  perversion 
of  one  of  the  most  important  privileges  vouchsafed  to  the 
Christian?  I  do  not  say  that  we  may  not  carry  the  re- 
quests of  our  friends  upon  our  prayers  to  God,  but  what  I 
do  say  is,  that  we  cannot  do  this  in  a  public  manner,  and 
in  the  businesslike  style  with  which  it  is  done  in  revival 
meetings,  without  destroying  all  seriousness  in  reference  to 
the  whole  matter. 

Furthermore,  this  method  is  misleading,  and  is  there- 
fore constantly  making  infidels.  It  might  be  sufficient  to 
say  it  is  well  known  that  many  of  these  requests  are  not 
answered,  and  therefore  the  effect  on  the  mind  is  that  the 
promises  of  God  have  failed.  But  the  real  truth  is,  there 
are  no  such  promises  as  are  here  relied  upon.     Passages  of 


OF   EVANGELISM  363 

Scripture  relating  to  the  efficacy  of  prayer  are  quoted  to 
support  this  method,  but  these  are  as  clearly  misapplied  as 
that  the  method  grows  out  of  a  false  view  of  the  divine 
government.     But  I  will  not  insist  upon  this  point. 

It  misleads  in  calling  the  sinner's  attention  to  the  wrong 
thing.  He  should  be  pointed  to  Christ,  he  should  be  ex- 
horted to  trust  in  him ;  and  when  he  exercises  this  trust,  he 
should  immediately  obey  him.  But,  instead  of  this,  he  is 
told  to  trust  in  Christ,  that  this  is  all-sufficient ;  and  in  or- 
der that  he  may  trust  in  Him  with  a  saving  faith,  prayers 
are  offered  on  his  behalf.  Then,  in  answer  to  these  prayers, 
the  sinner  is  made  to  realise  that  he  is  accepted  of  God. 
Now,  all  this  is  not  only  unscriptural,  but  is  positively  a 
perversion  of  the  Gospel  plan  of  salvation,  and  it  is  be- 
cause this  is  so  that  I  enter  my  solemn  protest  against  the 
whole  proceeding. 

But  I  may  be  asked.  Shall  we  not  pray  for  sinners,  and 
may  they  not  even  pray  for  themselves?  I  answer,  un- 
hesitatingly. Yes.  Both  of  these  may  be  done,  and  yet  save 
the  Gospel  from  the  shame  to  which  it  is  exposed  by  modem 
revivalism.  The  church  should  pray  for  the  world,  but 
certainly  not  when  they  are  refusing  to  do  what  the  Gospel 
plainly  commands  them  to  do.  God  is  a  God  of  order,  and 
not  of  confusion.  He  has  appointed  specific  means  for 
specific  ends.  To  illustrate :  In  the  natural  world,  He  has 
appointed  light  as  a  medium  of  sight,  and  nothing  else  can 
take  its  place.  He  has  appointed  water  to  quench  thirst, 
air  for  the  lungs,  and  food  for  the  body ;  and  these  cannot 
be  dispensed  with,  or  other  things  substituted,  VTithout  seri- 
ous consequences.  Shall  we  say  that  He  is  less  orderly  in 
his  moral  government  ?  Must  we  accord  to  Him  the  highest 
intelligence  in  physical  things,  in  arranging  the  symmetry, 
adaptation,  and  harmony  of  all  things  in  nature,  but 
when  we  come  to  the  kingdom  of  grace,  believe  that  he 


364  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

has  left  everything  in  confusion?  Can  we  in  truth  think 
that  our  Heavenly  Father  could  possibly  act  in  this  way? 
As  a  fact,  we  know  that  He  does  not  act  in  this  way.  He 
has  ordained  the  Gospel  as  his  power  to  the  salvation  of 
men;  this  must  be  preached  faithfully  as  his  means  to  turn 
men  from  darkness  to  light,  and  nothing  else  can  be  sub- 
stituted for  it.  Furthermore,  this  Gospel  has  specific  con- 
ditions, which  must  be  accepted;  and  nothing  else  can  be 
substituted  for  these  without  perverting  the  whole  Gospel 
plan.  Prayer,  specifically,  belongs  to  the  Christian,  is  an 
institution  of  the  church,  and  is  a  means  to  help  the  Chris- 
tian in  his  struggles  to  overcome.  But  modern  revivalism 
has  put  prayer  out  into  the  world,  which  is  an  entire  per- 
version of  Heaven's  order. 

(3)  Another  objectionable  feature  is  what  may  be  ap- 
propriately called  the  overdoing  of  the  human  element 
in  the  matter  of  influence.  The  evangelist  himself  is  often 
not  far  removed  from  a  hypnotist.  I  do  not  say  that 
he  is  conscious  of  this.  I  certainly  do  not  wish  to  be 
understood  as  charging  him  with  an  attempt  at  using  an 
unworthy  influence.  He  may  be  thoroughly  conscientious, 
and  he  may  have  a  gift  which  helps  to  fit  him  for  his  work, 
provided  this  gift  is  wisely  used.  But  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  much  of  our  evangelism  of  the  present  day  comes 
dangerously  near  to  the  methods  of  the  hypnotists  when  it 
escapes  that  of  the  auctioneering  system,  which  is  another 
phase  to  be  carefully  avoided.  Undoubtedly  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  evangelist  as  well  as  the  church  to  labour  earnestly 
for  the  conversion  of  souls.  But  when  this  labour  is  ex- 
pended in  a  sort  of  persuasion,  which  is  intended  simply 
to  increase  the  number  of  converts  rather  than  to  make  real 
Christians,  it  is  certainly  time  to  enter  a  solemn  protest 
against  that  which  lends  itself  to  this  perversion  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.    Much  of  the  coldness,  indifference,  and 


OF   EVANGELISM  365 

even  scepticism  which  may  be  found  in  almost  an}^  of  the 
churches  is  due  largely  to  false  methods  of  evangelism; 
for  many  of  those  whose  names  are  now  recorded  upon  the 
church  registers  have  never  been  born  from  above.  They 
have  come  into  the  churches  through  the  whirlwind,  the 
fire,  or  the  earthquake,  but  have  never  heard  the  still  small 
voice  of  God  in  the  simple  but  eiffective  story  of  the  Gos- 
pel, in  all  of  its  facts,  commands,  and  promises,  as  may  be 
by  those  who  have  been  properly  taught  and  normally 
brought  into  contact  with  the  saving  power  of  the  cross. 

Hence,  I  conclude,  while  there  are  many  good  things 
in  modern  revivalism,  it  is,  upon  the  whole,  as  it  is  fre- 
quently conducted,  in  the  way  of  the  progress  of  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ.  True,  it  stands  as  a  solemn  protest  against 
the  formality,  the  coldness,  and  the  worldly-mindedness  of 
modern  Protestantism.  It  is  an  effort  of  earnest  men  to 
break  over  the  dead  point  in  the  progress  of  the  religion 
of  Christ.  But  it  carries  with  it  a  fatal  poison;  it  in- 
oculates Christian  activity  with  a  most  serious  error, 
practically  setting  aside  the  Gospel  in  some  particulars,  and, 
through  an  ostentatious  parade  of  prayer,  seeks  to  effect 
the  conversion  of  men  by  direct  interposition  of  divine 
power;  thus  denying  the  freedom  of  the  will,  and  practi- 
cally making  God  responsible  for  the  present  rebellious 
state  of  the  world.  From  this  doctrine  I  turn  away  in  dis- 
gust, and  though  I  sympathise  with  the  purpose  which  these 
earnest  men  have  in  view,  I  cannot  allow  that  their  work, 
as  a  whole,  is  such  as  the  age  needs  and  such  as  God 
approbates. 

(4)  On  of  ttie  most  objectionable  features  in  modern 
evangelism  is  the  aftermath.  Often  the  reaction  from  the 
abnormal  excitement  which  attends  a  successful  evan- 
gelistic crusade,  is  anything  but  helpful.  The  usual  serv- 
ices seem  tame  after  the  evangelist  has  left.     He  has 


366  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

worked  up  everything  to  a  white  heat,  and  consequently 
when  the  regular  services  of  the  church  are  again  inaug- 
urated there  is  often  a  feeling  in  the  community  that  the 
religious  temperature  has  practically  gone  down  to  zero. 
This  ought  not  to  be  the  case,  and  need  not  be  the  case,  if 
the  evangelistic  services  are  conducted  with  a  view  to 
permanent  results  rather  than  immediate  results. 

The  pastor  must  guide  in  this  matter.  He  must  watch 
carefully  the  course  of  things,  and  utterly  refuse  to  have 
his  pulpit  subsidised  for  the  mere  purpose  of  securing  num- 
bers rather  than  real  conversions.  I  think  it  will  be  readily 
admitted  that  a  large  number  of  evangelistic  meetings 
leave  the  churches  where  they  are  held  in  a  worse  condi- 
tion than  they  were  before  the  meetings  began.  It  often 
happens  that  half  of  the  converts  made  at  these  meetings 
cannot  be  found,  or  at  least  do  not  attend  the  meetings  of 
the  church,  six  months  after  the  evangelistic  services  close. 
This  is  so  much  the  case  that  it  has  come  to  be  the  fashion 
to  anticipate  precisely  this  result,  and  consequently  not  a 
few  pastors  and  churches  are  beginning  to  regard  such 
services  as  an  evil  rather  than  a  good.  But  when  the  serv- 
ices are  held  with  due  respect  to  permanent  results  rather 
than  temporary  results,  and  when  the  auctioneer  system  is 
completely  ignored,  and  when  the  Gospel  is  faithfully 
preached,  such  services  ought  to  be  helpful  in  almost  any 
community,  and  consequently  I  plead  for  a  reformation  in 
evangelistic  work  rather  than  a  disposition  to  discount  it, 
as  is  now  frequently  done. 

(5)  Another  evil  must  be  watched  carefully.  In  some 
communities  where  evangelistic  services  are  fashionable 
the  people  look  for  them  as  a  sort  of  periodical  blessing; 
and  where  this  is  the  case,  very  few  people  will  obey  the 
Gospel  at  the  regular  meetings  of  the  church.  The  people 
wait  for  these  extraordinary  services,  and  it  often  happens 


OF  EVANGELISM  367 

that  a  number  of  people  will  respond  immediately  after  the 
services  begin,  simply  because  they  have  been  waiting  for 
the  time  to  arrive  when  their  obedience  to  the  Gospel  may 
be  manifested.  It  is  well,  therefore,  in  such  communities 
to  break  up  the  regularity  or  periodicity  of  these  meetings, 
for  there  is  nothing  that  will  keep  up  the  healthful  pulse  of 
a  church  better  than  frequent  additions  during  the  regular 
Lord's  Day  services. 

(6)  Evangelistic  services  in  a  church  that  is  supplied 
with  a  pastor  will  often  weaken  the  pastor's  influence  by 
creating  an  abnormal  excitement,  so  as  to  make  his  preach- 
ing appear  dull  and  uninteresting,  when  it  follows  these 
highly  wrought  services.  Sometimes  a  successful  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  a  church  is  practically  the  beginning 
of  the  end  of  a  pastor's  influence.  Indeed,  it  not  unfre- 
quently  happens  that  he  will  soon  have  to  find  another  loca- 
tion, as  his  preaching  no  longer  interests  as  it  once  did. 

Of  course  this  is  not  a  necessary  result,  but  that  it  is  a 
result  in  many  cases  will  not  seriously  be  denied  by  any  one 
who  is  at  all  competent  to  judge. 

(7)  These  evangelistic  meetings,  in  the  modern  style, 
have  a  tendency  to  emphasise  a  sort  of  statistical  Chris- 
tianity rather  than  the  real  thing.  The  evangelist  must 
secure  additions  in  some  way,  whether  these  are  genuinely 
converted  or  not.  I  do  not  say  that  he  means  to  build 
the  foundation  on  wood,  hay,  or  stubble.  I  think  that 
generally  he  has  persuaded  himself  that  his  methods  are 
perfectly  legitimate,  and  that  the  main  thing  is  to  secure 
the  decision  of  those  who  hear  him,  whether  that  decision 
has  been  gained  by  legitimate  means  or  not.  For  the  time 
being,  he  seems  to  lose  sight  of  the  means  he  is  using  and 
looks  only  to  the  end,  viz.,  the  mathematical  feature  which 
is  so  important  in  making  up  a  report  for  the  newspapers. 

I  am  fully  persuaded  that  a  large  majority  of  our 


368  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

popular  evangelists  are  not  at  all  conscious  of  the  evil 
they  are  doing  through  the  mechanical  machinery  which 
they  use  and  the  energy  which  they  put  forth  to  secure 
numbers  of  converts  rather  than  converts,  whether  few  or 
many,  who  have  been  born  from  above,  and  who,  con- 
sequently, come  into  the  churches  somewhat  prepared  for 
the  spiritual  conflict  which  they  will  there  have  to  wage. 
The  faithful  pastor  will  soon  see  that  ten  real  conversions 
will  be  worth  more  to  his  church  than  five  hundred  who 
simply  come  in  through  an  abnormal  excitement  and 
through  an  auctioneering  system  which  comes  dangerously 
near  a  profanation  of  the  Gospel. 

Having  now  presented  both  sides  of  this  great  problem, 
I  need  say  but  a  word  or  two  in  conclusion.  The  twentieth 
century  preacher  will  be  compelled  to  deal  with  this  im- 
portant problem.  It  will  come  up  again  and  again  in  his 
ministry.  In  my  own  judgment,  the  best  disposition  to 
make  of  it  is  for  the  pastor  himself  to  do  a  considerable 
amount  of  evangelistic  preaching,  and,  speaking  broadly, 
he  should  hold  his  own  evangelistic  services  whenever  it  is 
possible  for  him  to  do  so.  He  is  none  the  less  an  evan- 
gelist because  he  is  a  pastor,  and  if  he  can  get  his  church 
members  to  cooperate  with  him  as  earnestly  as  they  usually 
cooperate  with  a  visiting  evangelist,  he  will  have  little  or 
no  difficulty  in  holding  such  services  as  are  needed  with  his 
home  forces;  and  in  nineteen  cases  in  twenty  these  meet- 
ings will  be  vastly  more  beneficial  to  his  church  than  any 
meetings  that  may  be  held  by  professional  evangelists  who 
use  the  methods  to  which  attention  has  already  been  called, 
and  which  are  undoubtedly  very  objectionable  in  many 
cases.  Let  the  pastor  train  his  people  to  go  everywhere 
preaching  the  Word,  and  let  him  keep  his  pulpit  full  of  the 
evangelistic  spirit  at  all  his  regular  services,  and  it  will 


OF   EVANGELISM  369 

not  be  long  until  the  professional  evangelist  will  have  to 
confine  his  services  to  the  general  field  where  no  churches 
exist,  or  he  will  have  to  go  to  foreign  lands  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  heathen.  Such  a  solution  of  the  evangelistic 
problem  would  probably  hasten  the  millennium  by  very 
many  years. 


XXXVI 

THE  PEOBLEM  OF  THE  PEEACHER  EOE  THE 

PEESENT  AGE,  AND  HOW  HE  IS  TO 

BE  SUPPLIED 

The  kind  of  preacher  needed  for  the  present  age  has  al- 
ready been  partially  sketched  in  considering  some  of  the 
problems  in  preceding  chapters.  However,  there  is  still 
some  things  to  be  said  in  order  that  we  may  have  a  full- 
drawn  picture  of  the  man  who  is  to  fill  the  important  place 
of  preacher  in  the  coming  days.  The  following  special 
characteristics  I  think  must  be  included  in  any  exhaustive 
treatment  of  the  twentieth  century  preacher. 

(1)  He  must  be  educated,  but  not  educated  overmuch, 
1  have  already  intimated  that  the  age  demands  a  collegiate 
education  for  any  man  who  hopes  to  make  the  ministry 
of  the  Gospel  successful  in  the  highest  degree.  It  is  not 
meant,  however,  by  this  that  no  one  can  preach  the  Gospel 
effectively  unless  he  has  a  collegiate  education.  But  it  is 
meant  that,  all  other  things  being  equal,  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion is  invaluable  in  equipping  the  preacher  for  his  best 
work. 

But  there  is  one  thing  I  would  guard  well  at  this  point ; 
the  educated  preacher  must  be  careful  not  to  swing  his 
academic  diploma  in  the  air,  or  hang  it  upon  the  pulpit 
for  the  inspection  of  his  audience,  every  time  he  comes 
before  the  people.  He  ought  to  be  scholarly  in  what  he 
says,  but  he  need  not  be  academic.  Indeed  he  must  not 
be  pretentious  in  his  scholarship  at  all,  or  else  he  will  soon 
find  his  greater  usefulness   at  an  eiid.    Education  ought  to 

370 


OF  THE  PREACHER  FOR  THIS  AGE  371 

help  to  simplicity,  and  when  it  does  not  do  this  it  is  a 
positive  disadvantage  rather  than  a  help  in  ministerial 
work.  If  it  be  true  that  "  beauty  unadorned  is  adorned  the 
most/'  it  is  equally  true  that  an  education  that  conceals 
the  academy  and  shows  only  the  results  of  academical 
training  is  the  best  kind  of  education,  and  indeed  the  only 
kind  that  will  adorn  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century. 
All  pretence  is  reprehensible,  and  usually  the  man  who 
aims  to  exhibit  his  scholarship  is  a  pretender,  and  really 
has  little  or  no  scholarship  to  exhibit.  But  even  when  his 
scholarship  is  respectable  it  is  not  respectable  to  put  his 
scholarship  on  parade  for  the  sake  of  convincing  the 
people  how  much  his  little  head  contains.  Goldsmith's 
"Village  Schoolmaster"  was  a  saint  in  comparison  with 
the  modern  preacher  who  writes  on  his  hat  the  college 
where  he  was  educated  and  lisps  through  his  voice  the  very 
intonation  of  his  professors  of  whom  he  is  simply  an 
imitator. 

Consequently,  while  I  plead  for  a  highly  educated  min- 
istry, at  the  same  time  I  hold  strongly  to  the  conviction 
that  any  sensible  man  will  have  his  modesty  increased  and 
his  egotism  decreased  in  the  precise  ratio  of  his  advance- 
ment towards  high  educational  attainments. 

(2)  The  twentieth  century  preacher  must  have  convic- 
tions. I  mean  by  this  that  he  cannot  make  his  ministry 
a  permanent  success  unless  he  believes  in  what  he  preaches. 
Faith  in  his  message  is  absolutely  essential  in  order  to 
make  that  message  a  power  in  the  salvation  of  the  world. 
It  is  probable  that  a  lie  heartily  believed  in  and  earnestly 
advocated  will  produce  more  immediate  results  than  will 
the  truth  half  believed  in  and  advocated  with  a  doubting 
hesitancy,  a  trembling  uncertainty,  and  a  half-hearted  con- 
viction. Professional  ministers  of  the  Gospel  are  no  longer 
a  possibility  in  the  new  century,  if  permanent  success  is 


372  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

to  be  seriously  considered.  Of  course  even  hypocrites  and 
charlatans,  when  they  have  special  gifts  for  controlling 
audiences,  may  have  a  temporary  following;  but  these  men 
will  never  last  long  in  any  one  place,  and  their  work,  built 
of  wood,  hay,  and  stubble,  will  not  stand  the  fire  when  the 
day  of  trial  comes.  Only  the  men  of  deep  and  earnest  con- 
viction will  produce  that  which  will  be  a  permanent  good 
in  the  coming  age. 

(3)  The  successful  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century 
must  not  only  have  convictions,  but  he  must  have  the  cour- 
age of  these.  It  is  very  suggestive  that  in  the  Apostle 
Peter's  pyramid  of  character  he  places  courage  next  to 
faith.  We  must  add  to  our  faith  courage,  and  it  is  cer- 
tainly true  that  no  preacher  in  the  present  age  can  make 
his  ministry  a  real  success  without  this  important  element 
as  a  factor  in  his  ministerial  work.  As  an  element  of 
popularity  courage  is  valuable.  There  is  nothing  that 
people  will  applaud  more  readily  than  a  courageous  man; 
and  there  has  never  been  any  age  of  the  world  when  the 
courage  of  honest  conviction  was  more  appreciated  than 
at  the  present  time.  Just  now  great  moral  questions  are 
moving  the  masses.  The  past  few  years  have  been  full 
of  history,  and  the  new  age  invites  to  the  fullest  play  of 
honest  convictions. 

However,  it  is  well  to  guard  against  mistaking  rashness 
for  courage.  The  really  courageous  man  who  wishes  to  give 
his  convictions  to  the  world  will  be  extremely  careful  how 
he  does  this.  He  will  have  much  respect  for  time,  place, 
and  circumstance.  He  will  not  rush  to  the  front  and 
declare  himself,  simply  because  he  has  convictions,  but  he 
will  have  due  respect  to  the  old  K  air  on  Gnothe  of  the 
Greeks.  He  will  seize  the  right  opportunity,  and  then 
strike  while  the  iron  is  hot.  He  must  not  rush  in  where 
angels  dare  not  tread.     He  must  select  wisely  the  occasion 


OF   THE   PREACHER   FOR   THIS   AGE    373 

when  and  where  he  will  proclaim  his  convictions.  But 
when  that  occasion  offers  itself,  he  must  not  hesitate.  He 
must  then  exercise  his  courage  to  the  fullest  extent,  for 
only  in  such  courageous  action  will  he  be  able  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  age  in  which  he  lives. 

The  present  political  upheavals  throughout  this  country 
and  the  nations  of  Europe  and  Asia  have  been  produced 
by  a  vigorous  advocacy,  by  a  courageous  campaign,  in 
which  honest  conviction  has  held  the  supreme  place.  The 
preacher,  of  all  men,  should  be  eminently  courageous.  He 
is  in  constant  conflict  with  the  agencies  of  evil,  and  nothing 
short  of  a  courage  which  knows  no  defeat  will  suffice  to 
give  victory  against  the  tremendous  forces  which  are  every- 
where arrayed  against  good,  right,  and  truth. 

(4)  The  twentieth  century  preacher  must  be  a  lover  of 
men  as  well  as  a  lover  of  God.  I  fear  that  this  splendid 
characteristic  is  often  overlooked  in  considering  what  a 
preacher  ought  to  be.  A  man  cannot,  in  a  personal  way, 
help  his  fellow-man  as  he  ought  to  help  him  unless  he  is 
in  deep  sympathy  with  the  man  himself.  We  can  usually 
find  a  way  to  help  those  we  love,  and  there  is  never  an 
easy  way  to  help  those  whom  we  do  not  love.  The  preacher 
who  is  not  a  lover  of  men  will  not  fit  the  age  in  which 
we  live.  There  never  was  a  time  when  the  whole  world 
was  so  close  together  as  at  present.  All  the  agencies  of 
modern  discovery  are  making  toward  the  unification  of 
mankind,  and  the  preacher  who  is  to  become  a  prominent 
factor  in  this  welding  of  the  nations  and  of  individual  men 
must  himself  be  in  hearty  sympathy  with  men  for  men's 
sake,  not  for  what  he  can  get  out  of  them,  nor  for  simply 
the  reason  that  it  is  right  to  help  our  fellow-men,  but  rather 
because  the  love  he  has  for  these  men  is  so  overwhelming 
that  he  cannot  refrain  from  doing  everything  he  possibly 
can  to  better  their  condition  the  world  over. 


374  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

Of  course  he  must  be  a  lover  of  God,  but  I  do  not  see 
how  it  is  possible  for  him  to  be  such  a  lover  if  he  does  not 
love  his  fellow-men.  If  we  love  not  our  brother  whom  we 
have  seen,  how  can  we  love  God  whom  we  have  not  seen? 
In  a  word,  the  way  to  love  God  is  to  love  our  fellow-men. 
Jesus  said  to  those  who  asked,  ^^  When  saw  we  thee  hungry 
and  fed  thee,  when  saw  we  thee  naked  and  clothed  thee  ?  " 
etc.,  "As  much  as  ye  have  done  it  to  the  least  of  these 
my  brethren  ye  have  done  it  to  me."  When  we  serve  one 
another  that  service  is  accepted  as  service  done  to  Christ; 
when  we  love  one  another,  in  an  important  sense  that  is 
love  rendered  to  God. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  no  one  can  help  me  very  much  who 
does  not  love  me.  We  all  know  the  difference  between  the 
hand  of  love  that  administers  to  us  and  the  hand  of  hate, 
which  may  even  offer  us  apparent  kindness  simply  for 
selfish  purposes.  The  true  preacher  of  the  Gospel  cannot 
administer  his  holy  office  if  he  does  not  ardently  love  the 
people  whom  he  serves.  And  he  must  love  them  for  their 
own  sakes,  not  for  his  sake;  he  must  love  them  as  he 
wants  to  save  them ;  he  must  not  simply  want  to  save  them 
and  then  love  them.  However,  both  of  these  ought  to  be 
true  in  this  case,  and  will  be  true  if  he  is  worth  while  as 
a  preacher  in  the  coming  age. 

(5)  He  must  be  a  man  of  affairs.  I  mean  by  this  that 
he  must  have  a  good  business  head  on  him.  I  do  not  mean 
that  he  must  carry  with  him  a  slate  and  pencil  and  be 
constantly  calculating  everything  as  he  would  a  problem  in 
arithmetic.  He  need  not  trouble  himself  about  the  mathe- 
matical side  of  the  question  at  all,  though  it  will  certainly 
be  no  crime  if  he  can  repeat  the  multiplication  table.  Nor 
need  it  be  disastrous  to  his  ministry  if  he  can  solve  a 
problem  in  compound  proportion;  but  he  must  utterly 
refuse  to  have  anything  to  do  with  problems  in  compound 


OF  THE  PREACHER  FOR  THIS  AGE  375 

interest,  except  where  that  interest  is  an  accumulation  of 
spiritual  forces  in  his  church.  In  such  a  case  he  may 
become  an  expert  as  a  spiritual  arithmetician. 
/  What  I  wish  to  emphasise  is  the  importance  of  a  preacher 
keeping  his  own  business  affairs  in  good  shape,  and  further- 
more to  give  much  attention  to  conducting  everything  in 
his  church  on  good  business  lines.  There  is  this  secular 
side,  if  you  choose  to  call  it  that,  but  more  truly  I  think 
it  should  be  called  the  spiritual  side,  to  every  important 
ministry,  and  it  is  a  side  that  cannot  be  neglected  without 
the  loss  of  spiritual  power.  In  most  churches  there  are 
special  oflBcers,  sometimes  called  deacons,  to  look  after  the 
business  affairs  of  the  church;  but  even  where  this  is  the 
case  the  preacher  should  keep  himself  thoroughly  in  touch 
with  what  these  oflScers  are  doing,  and  should,  when  neces- 
sary, be  able  to  guide  them  in  all  the  affairs  which  they 
have  under  consideration.  A  good  business  man  may  not 
always  be  a  successful  preacher,  but  a  successful  preacher 
must  necessarily  be  a  good  business  man. 

(6)  The  coming  preacher  must  have  an  open  mind  to 
every  truth  in  the  universe.  The  time  is  past  when  the 
highways  of  truth  may  be  blocked  by  the  interposition  of 
fossilised  methods  or  creeds.  We  are  in  an  age  which  in- 
vites to  free  investigation.  Everywhere  the  death  knell 
of  despotism,  both  political  and  religious,  has  been  sounded. 
We  are  standing  on  the  verge  of  a  new  age.  The  spirit  of 
this  age  is  the  spirit  of  freedom.  There  are  no  doors  now 
barricaded  against  the  ingress  of  truth.  There  are  no  bas- 
tiles  to  hinder  a  revolution  that  means  the  freedom  of 
men.  The  old  despotisms  of  Europe  are  all  gone,  or  else 
they  are  just  now  trembling  upon  the  brink  of  ruin.  Even 
King  Alcohol  is  being  dethroned  in  many  of  our  own 
states  and  cities,  and  throughout  the  world  he  is  rapidly 
losing  his  iron  grasp  upon  the  people. 


Zje  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

In  the  presence  of  this  onward  progress  of  liberty,  what 
can  a  man  do,  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  who  comes 
before  the  world  with  a  message  circumscribed  by  the  tra- 
ditions of  the  Fathers,  or  the  limitations  of  human  creeds  ? 
Such  a  man  will  soon  find  that  there  is  no  place  for  him 
in  the  ministry  of  the  twentieth  century.  This  century 
calls  for  men  of  an  open  mind,  men  who  are  willing  to 
hear  the  voice  of  truth  and  follow  it  whithersoever  it 
leads;  men  who  are  prepared  to  break  with  all  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  past,  however  sacred  these  traditions  may  be, 
if  such  a  demand  is  made  upon  them  in  the  best  interests 
of  the  cause  for  which  they  plead.  This  must,  indeed,  be 
a  prominent  characteristic  of  the  preacher  of  the  twentieth 
century. 

(7)  The  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  must  be  a 
man  who  can  magnify  his  calling.  He  must  have  a  just 
conception  of  what  this  calling  is.  He  must  remember 
that  no  man  can  do  the  work  of  every  man.  Every  man 
has  his  place,  and  the  preacher  should  know  his  place  and 
should  occupy  it  without  hesitation  and  without  attempting 
to  crowd  the  places  of  other  men.  He  will  find  plenty  of 
work  to  do  within  the  sphere  of  his  selection.  He  need 
not  very  often  go  outside  of  his  particular  sphere  in  order 
to  reach  the  highest  point  of  usefulness.  A  jack-at-all- 
trades  is  likely  to  be  good  at  none.  A  man  of  a  single 
purpose  will  usually  accomplish  much  more  than  a  man 
who  imagines  that  he  ought  to  take  an  active  part  in  every- 
thing that  is  being  done.  While  there  are  many  subor- 
dinate spheres  lying  close  to  the  one  which  seems  to 
specially  bound  the  preacher's  activities,  it  is  not  well  for 
him  to  give  too  much  attention  to  these  outlying  districts, 
but  to  work  well  and  faithfully  in  the  sphere  of  labour 
which  he  knows  is  his  legitimate  field. 

Of  course  I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  he  is  to  do  nothing 


OF   THE   PREACHER   FOR  THIS   AGE    377 

but  preach  the  Gospel ;  but  I  do  mean  that  he  must  preach 
the  Gospel  even  if  he  does  nothing  else ;  and  most  probably 
if  he  preaches  the  Gospel  faithfully  he  will  find  that  prac- 
tically sufficient  for  taxing  all  his  energies.  At  any  rate, 
whatever  else  is  left  undone  he  must  see  to  it  that  the  work 
of  saving  souls  must  not  be  neglected;  for,  after  all,  the 
message  of  the  Gospel  is  to  save  rather  than  to  do  any- 
thing else  for  men.  Other  things  may  follow,  but  this 
is  the  prime  consideration  in  the  whole  scheme  of  redemp- 
tion. 

There  can  be  very  little  doubt  that  the  present  age  de- 
mands a  preacher  somewhat  different  from  the  kind  that 
held  sway  during  even  the  past  century.  Scholarly  attain- 
ments are  worth  just  as  much  now  as  they  ever  were  in  the 
history  of  the  church;  but  these  attainments  must  be  used 
in  a  somewhat  different  way.  The  great  problem  of  the 
pulpit  to-day  is,  How  shall  we  reach  the  masses  ?  In  many 
places  the  people  have  been  alienated  from  the  churches, 
and  consequently  the  chief  effort  of  the  coming  ministry 
must  be  to  restore  confidence  between  the  people  and  the 
churches,  to  heal  up  the  breach  that  has  been  made  and 
has  been  widening  for  the  last  fifty  years.  In  order  that 
this  great  work  may  be  accomplished,  the  minister  of  the 
twentieth  century  must  be  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the 
people,  as  well  as  with  the  church.  Indeed,  in  an  im- 
portant sense  he  must  be  the  mediator  between  the  two, 
and  he  must  use  all  of  his  energies  to  bring  about  a  recon- 
ciliation. But  he  cannot  do  this  by  walking  on  the  stilts 
of  a  purely  academic  education.  He  must  step  down  from 
his  self-conscious  exalted  position  and  mingle  with  the 
people;  he  must  become  one  of  them,  and  learn  if  possible 
to  speak  their  language  without  making  their  grammatical 
mistakes.  He  should  be  cultured,  but  at  the  same  time  he 
should  be  strong,  and  above  everything  he  should  under- 


378  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

stand  his  real  mission  and  do  his  work  faithfully  without 
the  fear  of  men  before  his  eyes.  He  should  understand 
that  wisdom  is  worth  more  than  scholarly  attainments,  and 
that  he  who  wins  souls  is  wise.  In  short  he  must  be  em- 
inently a  soul  winner,  for  unless  he  is,  he  must  necessarily 
fail  to  discharge  the  functions  of  his  high  position,  no 
matter  what  else  he  may  be  or  do. 

In  view  of  his  great  responsibilities  he  dare  not  confine 
himself  to  the  limitations  of  his  own  parish.  Undoubtedly 
his  own  parish  should  have  his  first  and  best  work.  But 
the  man  who  will  succeed  as  a  preacher  in  the  twentieth 
century  must  necessarily  be  in  touch  with  much  of  the 
world.  He  cannot  be  provincial ;  he  must  be  cosmopolitan. 
This  is  the  day  when  everything  is  tending  to  unity.  The 
world  is  no  longer  big.  Every  man  in  it  is  practically  in 
touch  with  every  other  man.  We  live  on  telegraphic  lines 
where  distance  is  virtually  reduced  to  a  cipher.  We  can 
talk  across  the  ocean  even  without  the  wire  that  was  neces- 
sary a  few  years  ago.  The  atmosphere  is  now  contributing 
to  unity,  and  all  effort  is  in  some  way  or  other  reaching 
out  after  the  highest  and  best.  The  preacher  of  the  twen- 
tieth century  must  be  an  echo  of  the  world's  united  speech, 
calling  for  all  barriers  to  give  way  for  the  inauguration 
of  the  new  era  of  the  coming  days. 

(8)  The  successful  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century 
must  be  eminently  unselfish.  It  goes  without  saying  that 
unselfishness  should  characterise  the  minister  of  the  Gospel 
for  any  century  or  all  the  centuries.  No  man  can  minister 
to  others  who  first  of  all  wishes  himself  to  be  ministered 
to.  He  must  rather  imitate  his  Divine  Lord  in  this  respect, 
who  came  not  to  be  ministered  to,  but  to  minister  to  others. 
It  is  therefore  impossible  to  suppose  that  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  can  in  any  century  be  selfish  and  at  the  same  time 
make  his  ministry  an  eminent  success.    However,  it  may 


OF  THE   PREACHER  FOR  THIS   AGE    379 

be  stated  with  emphasis  that  the  characteristic  of  unself- 
ishness must  be  eminently  prominent  in  the  ministry  of 
the  twentieth  century.  As  has  just  been  said,  the  world  is 
no  longer  large.  Its  inhabitants  now  live  in  constant  touch 
with  one  another.  The  dividing  line  of  space  has  almost 
been  annihilated  by  recent  discoveries  and  mechanical  in- 
ventions; and  while  this  in  some  respects  tends  to  unity, 
in  other  respects  it  tends  to  selfishness.  In  the  scramble 
for  place  and  distinction,  and,  above  all,  in  the  intense 
eagerness  for  the  mastery  over  all,  there  is  always  a  strong 
tendency  to  make  those  who  are  parties  to  the  conflict  in- 
tensely selfish.  Travel  itself,  though  it  helps  to  a  broadness 
in  one  direction,  never  fails  to  cultivate  selfishness  in  an- 
other. This  may  be  seen  on  all  the  highways  of  travel,  in 
railcars,  steamboats,  and  steamships.  Most  men  are  not 
satisfied  with  appropriating  one  seat  in  the  railway  car; 
they  will  deliberately  appropriate  two,  and  then  make  it 
convenient  not  to  see  a  passenger  who  is  standing  in  the 
aisle  without  any  seat  at  all.  The  time  was  when  women 
were  excepted  in  this  rule,  and  usually  received  the  con- 
sideration they  deserve ;  but  now  most  men  who  are  in  the 
habit  of  travelling  much  are  never  apparently  concerned  by 
the  presence  of  a  woman  who  is  without  any  seat  at 
all,  unless  it  is  a  concern  that  they  may  finally  have  to 
give  up  the  extra  one  they  have  appropriated  for  them- 
selves. 

This  same  tendency  to  selfishness  shows  itself  in  every 
department  of  human  life,  and  our  close  touch  with  one 
another  in  the  struggle  of  life  does  much  to  intensify  this 
selfish  spirit.  Consequently  I  feel  sure  that  the  twentieth 
century  minister  must  set  an  example  in  unselfishness  of 
the  highest  order  if  he  should  be  able  to  do  much  to  over- 
come the  tendency  of  the  age.  I  do  not  say  that  he  should 
be  indifferent  to  salary.    It  often  happens  that  a  preacher's 


3^0  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

salary  is  largely  the  measure  of  his  power  to  do  good. 
Speaking  broadly,  he  ought  to  desire  a  competent  salary, 
and  the  church  he  serves  ought  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
anything  short  of  this.  Indeed,  if  he  has  the  right  spirit 
he  will  be  all  the  better  qualified  to  serve  his  church  with 
increasing  efficiency  if  he  has  a  liberal  salary  at  his  dis- 
posal. There  are  many  things  of  a  benevolent  character 
which  a  preacher  ought  to  be  able  to  do  on  his  own  account, 
or  at  least  on  account  of  his  Master,  without  asking  the 
church  for  the  means  to  do  it.  When  he  has  a  little  inde- 
pendent margin  for  benevolent  purposes  he  may  use  this 
with  which  not  only  to  do  good  to  others,  but  as  a  means 
for  increasing  his  influence  throughout  the  community 
where  he  lives.  A  stingy  parson  is  sure  to  make  a  lean 
congregation. 

But  I  do  not  put  this  great  matter  on  a  quid  pro  quo 
consideration.  The  minister  must  be  unselfish  just  because 
he  cannot  be  otherwise  and  at  the  same  time  have  the  spirit 
of  his  Divine  Master.  No  man  can  serve  Jesus  without 
serving  humanity.  The  most  predominant  spirit  of  the 
Gospel  is  otherism  or  altruism,  and  yet  neither  of  these 
words  expresses  exactly  the  unselfishness  which  should 
characterise  the  minister  of  the  Gospel.  No  doubt  there 
is  among  the  ministers  of  the  present  day  much  of  what 
is  called  altruism,  but  I  fear  there  is  a  great  lack  of  that 
self-forgetfulness,  that  complete  abandonment  for  the  good 
of  others,  which  seems  to  me  to  be  so  necessary  in  an  age 
which  is  characterised  by  commercialism  and  an  inordinate 
seeking  for  power.  Nevertheless,  I  am  unable  to  see  at 
the  dawn  of  this  new  century  that  very  many  are  not  seek- 
ing their  own  even  though  we  should  confine  our  investiga- 
tion solely  to  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  As  a  rule  the  young 
minister,  as  soon  as  he  leaves  his  college  or  university  to 
enter  upon  his  work,  is  looking  out  for  the  place  that  will 


OF  THE  PREACHER  FOR  THIS  AGE  381 

pay  him  the  biggest  salary.  Of  course  there  are  exceptions, 
but  I  fear  the  rule  is  as  I  have  stated  it.  He  is  not  looking 
for  the  place  where  he  can  do  the  most  good;  where  by 
sacrifices  and  toils  he  may  benefit  those  to  whom  he  min- 
isters; but  I  fear  that  in  any  case  he  is  influenced  chiefly 
by  what  he  supposes  will  be  best  for  himself  rather  than 
for  those  whom  he  is  to  serve. 

Now  all  this  must  be  changed  in  the  successful  minister 
of  the  twentieth  century.  He  must  humble  himself  if  he 
would  be  exalted;  he  must  be  willing  to  sacrifice  every 
vestige  of  selfishness  in  order  that  he  may  go  down  to  the 
lowest  and  lift  them  up  to  the  arms  of  Him  who  came  to 
seek  and  to  save  the  lost.  It  may  be  that  he  will  not  always 
have  to  make  such  sacrifices  as  I  have  indicated,  but  should 
the  necessity  be  laid  upon  him,  then  he  must  have  the 
courage  to  do  as  I  have  indicated.  This  is  the  only  kind 
of  minister  with  respect  to  this  matter  who  will  be  a  dis- 
tinct and  abiding  force  in  the  coming  century. 

(9)  The  twentieth  century  minister  must  be  non-pro- 
fessional. He  must  not  wear  on  his  hat  the  inscription 
"Behold  a  minister  of  the  Gospel!''  I  doubt  not  that 
professionalism  in  the  ministry  is  one  of  its  greatest 
hindrances  to  success.  This  has  been  the  case  in  all  ages 
of  the  church  where  professionalism  has  prevailed.  This 
did  not  prevail  in  apostolic  times.  Nor  did  it  prevail  in 
the  Patristic  Churches,  so  far  as  we  can  determine.  While 
there  were  always  men  in  the  churches  who  were  accepted 
as  "pastors  and  teachers"  during  the  early  period  of 
church  history,  there  is  no  indication  that  these  pastors 
and  teachers  were  a  profession  in  the  modern  use  of  that 
term.  The  church  is  properly  a  family,  and  all  its  mem- 
bers are  brethren,  and  there  is  really  no  special  class  set 
apart  for  ecclesiastical  purposes  which  involves  a  purely 
professional  life. 


382  PREACHER    PROBLEMS 

But,  however  this  may  have  been  in  the  ages  past,  the 
purely  professional  minister  of  the  twentieth  century  can- 
not possibly  do  a  work  worthy  the  high  calling  to  which 
he  aspires.  There  is  already  in  many  places  a  distinct 
break  between  the  people  and  the  ministry,  and  this  is 
largely  owing  to  the  fact  that  many  ministers  have  ceased 
to  be  leaders  and  commanders  of  the  people  as  Jesus  him- 
self was.  Almost  any  profession  makes  itself  objectionable 
when  it  is  characterised  by  professionalism.  The  man  who 
"  talks  shop  "  is  always  a  disagreeable  factor  in  a  com- 
munity, but  a  man  who  acts  shop  is  infinitely  worse  than 
the  man  who  talks  it.  But  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  is  the 
last  man  in  the  world  who  ought  either  to  talk  or  act  shop. 
He  should  be  natural,  free  from  all  cant,  and  if  he  cannot 
be  this,  he  need  not  wonder  if  men  shun  him,  and  count 
him  a  "  bore." 

(10)  The  twentieth  century  preacher  must  be  manly; 
and  this  characteristic  is  closely  akin  to  the  one  we  have 
just  considered.  He  must  not  be  a  milksop.  He  has  no 
right  to  be  a  cringing  suppliant  at  the  shrine  of  every  pop- 
ular idol.  He  has  a  great  calling.  He  has  committed  to 
him  a  great  charge.  He  stands  between  the  dead  and  the 
living.  He  is  the  messenger  of  God  bearing  good  news  to 
the  world.  He  is  supposed  to  have  surrendered  everything 
for  the  great  privilege  of  telling  out  the  "  old,  old  story  of 
Jesus  and  his  love."  In  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow- 
men  he  must  maintain  the  dignity  which  is  necessarily 
associated  with  so  great  a  charge.  He  must  therefore  put 
away  all  childish  considerations  and  speak  and  act  as  a 
full-grown  man.  In  a  word,  he  must  be  manly  in  the  high- 
est degree,  for  without  this  manly  quality  he  will  be  shorn 
of  half  his  strength,  even  though  he  possesses  many  other 
qualities  for  the  ministerial  ©ailing.  Perfect  truthfulness 
is  an  essential  condition  to  real  manliness.    He  must  spealc 


OF  THE  PREACHER  FOR  THIS  AGE  383 

out  of  a  true  heart,  and  this  of  itself  will  dignify  every 
action  and  intensify  every  feeling  that  is  noble  and  God- 
like. 

(11)  He  must  not  be  afraid  of  work.  Ministers  of  the 
Gospel  are  not  killed  by  work,  but  by  worry.  Leave  off 
your  worries  and  do  your  work.  Work  always  yields  the 
strength  of  it  to  the  worker.  The  only  way  a  man  can 
become  a  great  preacher  is  to  preach  great  preaching.  A 
United  States  Senator  when  asked,  just  after  the  war, 
what  was  the  best  way  to  resume  specie  payments,  answered, 
"  The  way  to  resume  is  to  resume.^'  There  is  a  great 
(deal  of  truth  in  this  statement,  and  it  applies  very  forcibly 
to  the  making  of  a  true  minister  of  the  Gospel.  I  have 
often  been  asked  what  is  the  best  way  to  preach,  and  I 
have  usually  answered,  "The  best  way  to  preach  is  to 
preach.'^  Let  the  preacher  do  the  work  of  the  preacher, 
and  he  will  get  the  strength  of  his  work.  "  They  that  wait 
on  the  Lord  shall  change  strength '';  that  is,  they  that 
serve  the  Lord  or  do  his  work  shall  have  the  strength  of 
the  work  they  do,  and  shall  change  from  their  own  strength 
to  the  strength  of  God,  for  the  doing  of  God's  work  assures 
his  strength  to  do  it. 

(12)  Finally,  the  twentieth  century  minister  must  be 
a  man  of  insight  and  vision.  He  must  be  able  to  see 
things,  and  things  too  that  are  invisible  to  the  ordinary 
eye.  This  assures  that  he  will  live  in  touch  with  the  spir- 
itual, or  the  invisible,  world.  There  are  ten  thousand 
things  immediately  around  us  that  we  cannot  understand, 
and  the  further  we  go  in  the  direction  of  the  spiritual 
world  the  more  mysterious  do  things  appear.  The  minis- 
ter of  the  Gospel  must  have  an  eye  adapted  not  only  to 
the  inner  soul,  and  therefore  have  a  spiritual  insight  with 
respect  to  soul-life,  but  he  must  also  be  able  to  see  quickly 
and  vividly  the  invisible  forces  which  are  all  around  him, 


384  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

and  that  contribute  much  to  make  up  the  sum  of  his  re- 
sponsibilities. 

It  is  useless  to  deny  the  fact  that  there  is  a  strong 
tendency  at  the  present  time  to  practically  materialise  the 
ministry.  With  many,  in  this  active,  noisy,  turbulent  age, 
nothing  is  seen  but  the  outward.  Men  in  the  ministry 
have  little  or  no  conception  of  anything  that  is  not  in  some 
way  either  a  subject  of  the  laboratory  or  the  Stock  Ex- 
change. But  neither  of  these  is  the  special  sphere  of  the 
faithful  minister.  He  needs  to  commune  with  the  invisible, 
to  see  much  of  God,  to  come  in  contact  with  the  secret 
springs  of  power,  and  to  live  much  on  the  mountain  as  well 
as  in  the  valley.  Jesus  often  went  apart  from  his  disciples 
in  order  to  pray  and  get  strength  for  the  conflict  which 
was  sure  to  meet  Him  down  where  the  people  live.  The 
minister  of  the  Gospel  must  spend  much  of  his  time  apart 
from  the  multitude  where  he  may  have  visions  of  his  work 
for  the  coming  days  that  will  inspire  him  for  deeds  of  noble 
daring  when  he  enters  again  the  great  thoroughfares  where 
souls  must  be  won  to  his  Master.  In  short,  he  must  be  a 
man  of  visions,  both  within  and  without,  for  only  such  a 
sight  will  bring  him  into  contact  with  the  living  forces 
tvhich  will  give  him  inspiration  for  his  work  and  also  such 
a  love  for  it  as  no  discouragement  can  destroy. 

Now  how  shall  this  preacher  be  supplied?  He  is  evi- 
dently not  here  as  yet,  if  we  reckon  with  a  composite  picture 
of  the  ministry  of  the  present  day.  I  am  glad  to  believe 
that  many  of  the  men  who  now  occupy  the  pulpits  of  the 
land  fairly  represent  the  picture  I  have  drawn  in  its  most 
important  characteristics;  but  there  are  so  many  still  who 
have  not  reached  the  high  ideal  which  has  been  sketched 
that  when  these  are  added,  so  as  to  obtain  a  general  result, 
the  ministry,  as  a  whole,  has  not  yet  reached  the  high-water 
mark  which  has  been  indicated.    Nor  is  the  supply  sulfi- 


OF  THE  PREACHER  FOR  THIS  AGE    385 

cient  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  age,  even  if  all  were 
equally  well  equipped  for  the  service  which  has  to  be 
rendered.  Again  we  ask  the  question.  How  can  this  neces- 
sary ministry  be  supplied? 

(1)  The  church  itself  must  furnish  the  material,  and 
should  also  do  some  of  the  training.  This  being  true,  every 
church  in  the  land  should  regard  itself  as  a  nursery  for 
the  coming  ministry.  The  time  was  when  this  was  much 
more  the  case  than  it  now  is.  Some  way  or  other  the 
churches  seem  to  have  dropped  out  of  the  ministerial 
problem.  Many  of  these  no  longer  take  any  interest  in 
the  encouragement  of  young  men  who  give  promise  of  use- 
fulness in  the  ministry.  If  a  young  man  wishes  to  enter 
the  ministry  of  his  own  initiative,  perhaps  no  one  will 
seriously  object;  but,  as  a  rule,  no  one  very  earnestly  en- 
courages him  to  do  so..  For  the  most  part  those  who  enter 
the  ministry  have  to  assume  the  whole  responsibility  for 
their  act,  and  very  seldom  does  the  church  know  anything 
about  what  they  are  doing,  and  even  if  his  action  is  known 
to  the  church,  no  one  seems  to  have  any  interest  in  the 
matter  at  all.  Now  all  this  must  be  changed  if  we  are  to 
have  a  ministry  for  the  coming  days  equal  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  case. 

(2)  All  young  men  seeking  to  enter  the  ministry  should 
receive  their  primary  instructions  in  regard  to  the  work 
for  which  they  are  equipping  themselves  from  the  re- 
spective pastors  of  the  churches  where  their  membership 
is.  This  lays  a  special  duty  upon  pastors  which  they  dare 
not  neglect.  Indeed,  it  is  one  of  the  very  things  that  every 
faithful  pastor  must  be  careful  to  do.  Paul,  in  writing  his 
letter  to  Timothy,  not  only  exhorts  him  to  "  hold  fast  the 
pattern  of  sound  words  "  which  he  had  received  from  the 
Apostle,  but  he  urges  Timothy  also  to  commit  the  things 
which  he  had  heard  from  the  Apostle  "to  faithful  men 


386  PREACHER   PROBLEMS 

who  shall  be  able  to  teach  others  also."  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  there  is,  according  to  divine  authority,  a  sort  of 
succession  in  the  ministerial  calling.  The  pastor  must  not 
only  be  able  to  preach  the  Gospel  himself  faithfully,  but 
he  should  by  all  legitimate  means  strive  to  secure  compe- 
tent men  in  his  own  church  to  whom  can  be  committed 
this  gracious  Gospel  message  when  the  pastor  himself  has 
ceased  from  his  labours.  As  a  matter  of  fact  there  are 
many  things  which  a  preacher  ought  to  learn  which  can 
be  taught  effectually  only  by  a  preacher,  and  a  preacher 
too  of  wide  and  varied  experience;  and  this  is  so  much  the 
case  that  our  colleges,  where  young  men  are  trained  for 
the  ministry,  should  use  their  wisest,  ablest,  and  most 
experienced  old  men  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  the 
young  men  who  are  preparing  for  the  ministry. 

(3)  This  brings  us  to  the  last  source  of  supply,  viz., 
our  colleges.  Nor  is  it  quite  proper  to  say  that  these  col- 
leges do  really  supply  us  with  ministers.  From  one  point 
of  view  they  may  be  regarded  as  doing  this;  but  we  have 
already  seen  that  the  churches  and  pastors  must  really  be 
the  true  source  of  supply.  The  colleges  can  only  help  to 
fit  these  young  men  for  their  important  work. 

I  have  already  said  so  much  about  this  matter  that  I 
need  do  little  more  than  refer  to  it  now.  iWhen  a  young 
man  has  been  selected  by  his  church  and  trained  by  his 
pastor  to  do  some  ministerial  work  at  home,  it  may  then 
be  well  for  him  to  take  a  course  of  instruction  in  a  college 
specially  appointed  for  ministerial  training;  and  if  this 
training  is  in  harmony  with  the  best  equipment  for  preach- 
ing service,  then  undoubtedly  it  ought  to  have  a  good  in- 
fluence in  preparing  the  young  minister  for  his  work. 

In  closing  what  I  have  to  say  with  respect  to  the  problems 
which  have  been  under  consideration,  it  is  only  needful  to 
emphasise  the  great  importance  of  the  position  which  is 


OF  THE   PREACHER   FOR   THIS   AGE    387 

offered  to  the  right  kind  of  a  minister  in  the  coming  days 
of  the  new  century.  Sometimes  we  hear  it  suggested  that 
the  press  is  rapidly  taking  the  place  of  the  pulpit,  and  con- 
sequently the  time  may  not  be  long  before  preaching  may 
be  dispensed  with  entirely.  Those  who  talk  this  way  are 
simply  dreaming.  They  have  no  wide-awake  conception  of 
the  age  in  which  they  live.  The  press  is  undoubtedly  a 
powerful  factor,  and  it  ought  to  be  much  more  powerful 
for  good  than  it  is.  But  even  if  its  power  for  good  was 
quadrupled,  it  would  still  be  far  behind  the  pulpit  in  mov- 
ing men  to  action,  in  striking  down  the  powers  of  evil,  and 
in  helping  men  to  a  higher  and  better  life.  The  press  has 
no  living  voice.  It  speaks  to  the  eye.  It  is  a  sign  of 
political,  social,  and  religious  progress,  and  it  helps  in  a 
certain  degree  to  move  on  this  progress.  But  it  lacks  the 
close  contact  with  the  ear  through  which  alone  the  faith 
of  mankind  is  moved;  for  as  a  matter  of  fact  we  walk  by 
faith  and  not  by  sight,  and  this  "  faith  comes  by  hearing, 
and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God."  The  preacher  is  there- 
fore the  proclaimer  of  this  Word,  and  this  Word  is  the 
producer  of  faith,  and  this  faith  overcomes  the  world. 


THE  END 


IMPORTANT  ESSAYS  AND  ADDRESSES 

The  Universal  Clements  of  the  Christian 
Religion 

lamo,  Cloth,  net  $1.25.  CHARLES  CUTHBERT  HALL 

Amid  the  flood  of  books  on  the  subject  of  religion  there  appears 
every  few  years  one  booK  that  dwarfs  ail  others,  one  that  crystalizes 
the  thinking  of  the  Christian  world.  Such  is  this  book.  This  man 
separates  himself  from  the  bewildering  crossed  paths  and  standing 
free,  grasps  clearly  the  course  that  is  being  followed  by  the  Christian 
age  of  which  he  is  a  part.  His  knowledge  is  cosmopolitan  and  accur- 
ate, his  logic  is  clean  cut  and  simple,  and  his  conclusions  convincing 
and  optimistic,  springing  from  a  faith  at  once  simple  and  profound  in 
its  certainty  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world  of  men  who 
are  his  possession. 

Paths  to  Power 

2nd  Edition.     lamo.  Cloth,  net  $1.25.  F.  W.  GUNSAULUS 

"Not  till  now  has  Dr.  Gunsaulus  put  a  volume  of  his  discourses 
into  print.  On  reading  them  one  is  disposed  to  concede  his  right  to 
the  place  assigned  him  by  Prof.  Wilkinson  in  the  list  with  such  men  as 
Belcher,  Brooks  and  Spurgeon.  Dr.  Gunsaulus  resembles  Dr.  Joseph 
Parker  in  the  vivifying  imagination  which  he  brings  to  the  exposi- 
tion of  his  texts,  and  is  a  master  in  allegorizing  from  them,  fresh 
and  profound  lessons." — The  Outlook, 

Humanity  and  God     And  other  sermons. 
i2mo.  Cloth,  net  J1.50.  SAMUEL  CHADWICK 

'  'In  every  sermon  the  preacher  looks  at  man  in  the  light  of  God 
and  strives  to  show  that  in  the  visitation  of  God  in  Christ  the  hope  of 
humanity  centres.  The  author  treats  with  great  force  and  freshness 
a  subject  on  which  plain  practical  teaching  is  in  our  own  time  much 
needed."— Meikadttt  Times. 


Loyalty:  The  Soul  of  Reli^on 

i2mo,  Cloth,  net  f  i.oo.  J.  Q.  K.  McCLURE 

"Dr.  McClure  sets  forth  the  idea  with  a  clearnets  not  surpassed  in 

terature.  and  in  a  great  variety  of  illustration,  argument  and  appeal. 

...  a  great  book  to  give  to  a  young  man  of  the  college  type.     It  takes 

him  as  he  is  and  takes  hold  ot  best  possibilities  in  him." — N.  V.  Ob- 


Our  Attitude  as  Pastors  SST^^i^Lm 

Paper,  net  loc  PROP.  LOUIS  RUFPBT 

^   Aa  address  to  the  studeats  of  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the 
Free  Evangelical  Church,  of  Geneva,  Switxerland.  ' 


Talks  to 


IDEALS  or  LIFE  AND  CONDUCT 


The  Choice  of  the  Highest  5i?JSK?' 

lamo,  Cloth,  netli.oo.         REQINALD  J.  CAMPBELL,  M.A. 

"These  messages  to  the  great  audiences  of  men  of  business  are  of 
a  high  level  of  thought  and  expression.  They  are  especially  directed 
to  young  men,  and  present  ideals  of  life  and  conduct  in  winning  ap- 
peals. Mr.  Campbell  is  a  virile  thinker  with  a  fineness  of  feeling, 
which  makes  him  a  power  in  the  pulpit  which  he  holds."— CAristiaM 
InttlligeMcer. 

Christianity  as  Taught  by  Christ 

A  series  of  discourses  on  the  teachings  of  Jesus, 
zamo.  Cloth,  net  (1.25.  HENRY  STILES  BRADLEY 
"  Because  he  knows  the  present  conditions  of  New  Testament 
lore  and  is  alert  with  the  spirits  of  modern  life.  Dr.  Bradley's  dis- 
courses possess  a  value  both  unique  and  practical Stirring,  in- 
structive, simple,  easy  to  read  and  easy  to  understand,  appealing  to 
faith  and  inciting  to  practice." — Atlanta  Constitution. 

Christ  and  Men 

lamo.  Cloth,  net  $1.20.  DAVID  J.  BURRELL 

Dr.  Burrell's  sermons  have  a  standard  quality  that  marks  all  of  his 
irriting.  This  series  of  sermons  is  intended  to  set  out  the  human  side 
•f  Jesus'  character  as  shown  in  his  interviews  with  men,  his  tact,  his 
discernment,  his  delicate  handling  of  people. 

lamo.  Cloth,  net  ♦1.25-  W.  H.  GRIFFITH  THOMAS 

"An  excellent  example  of  what  Biblical  analysis  should  be  and 
ihould  lead  to.  It  is  scholarly,  logical,  perspicuous,  and  sets  forth  the 
main  truths  of  each  passage  treated  in  a  particularly  exact  and  lum- 
inous way." — Advance. 

The  Culture  of  SimpUcity  X^HtSfor'."""'' 

and  Edition,  xamo.  Cloth,  net  li.oo.  flALCOLM  J.  McLEOD 
"The  first  suspicion  of  imitation  is  (quickly  dispelled.  The  book 
stands  on  its  own  merits.  More  vivacious,  more  practical  for  the 
American  reader  than  Charles  Wagner's  "The  Simple  Life.'  It  ex- 
plains more  clearly  how  the  life  may  be  lived,  and  reaches  the  root  of 
things  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ" — Congrre^ationalist. 

£liniS  of  Life    And  other  sermons. 

xamo.  Cloth,  netlx.oo.  J.  D.  JONES 

"Mr.  Jones  is  of  the  general  type  of  thought  with  which   Mr. 

Dawson  of  London  has  made  so  many  American  audiences  familiar. 

In  these  discourses  the  form  is  plain  and  lucid,  the  aim  is  practical." — 

The  Outlo0k. 

Young  Men  Who  Overcame 

tamo.  Cloth,  net#z.oo.  ROBERT  E.  SPEER 

"These  fifteen  condeiued  biographies  exhibit  the  power  and 
beauty  of  Christian  principle  in  strong  and  active  natures,  who  made 
their  mark  in  whatever  they  undertook— athletics,  tcbelarship,  busi- 
■ess.  Christian  missions.— rAf  Outlook, 


STUDIES  ON  BIBLICAL  THEMES 


The  Witness  of  Sin  a  Theodicy 

lamo.  Cloth,  net  ?i.oo.  NATHAN  ROBINSON  WOOD 

A  splendidly  thought-out  presentation  of  the  problem  presented 
by  the  presence  of  sin  in  a  world  dominated  by  God.  Some  sort  of  a 
theodicy,  some  conception  of  the  solution  of  this  questioa  is  necessary 
to  any  religious  thinking.  Mr.  Wood's  work  is  a  marked  addition  to 
present-day  theology. 

The  Walk,  Conversation  and  Character 
of  Jesus  Christ  Our  Lord 

lamo,  Cloth,  net  iLso.  ALEXANDER  WHYTE 

"Rich  and  glowing  meditations  on  the  life  of  our  Lord.  A  genuine 
contribution  to  Christology.  What  distinguishes  it  most  is  the  author's 
singularly  clear  perception  of  Christ  alone  without  sin.  While  always 
in  touch  with  real  life,  Dr  Whyte  has  that  power  of  separating  himself 
from  the  stream  of  things  which  is  essential  to  a  great  religious 
teacher."— 5rrV«A  Weekly  (Robertson  Nicoll,  Editor.) 

lesus  of  Nazareth,  the  Anointed  of  God 

Or,  The  Inner  History  of-a  Consecrated  Life, 
lamo.  Cloth,  net  750.  P.  COOK.  fl.A. 

"As  a  brief  and  concise  summary  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  life  of 
Jesus  this  volume  will  be  of  value." — Reformed  Church  Messenger. 

The  Divine  Tragedy    a  Drama  of  the  christ 

lamo.    Cloth,  net,  $1.00.  PEYTON  H.  HOQB 

The  author's  ambition  is  "to  tell  in  the  most  vivid  and  practical 
form  for  men  living  in  the  world  to-day  the  story  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
in  its  culminating  scenes."  One  could  exhaust  adjectives  in  praise  of 
the  author's  management  of  the  dramatic  form  and  his  blank  verse. 
It  is  a  wonderful  work.  The  dedicatory  poem  alone  is  of  such  sur* 
passing  beauty  that  one  will  never  forget  it. 

The  Directory  of  the  Devout  Life 

A  Commentary  on  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
lamo.  Cloth,  net  Iloo.  F.  B.  MEYER.  M.A. 

•  "In  many  respects  the  best  writings  Mr.  Meyer  has  issued.  They 
are  eminently  practical,  and  the  pointed  and  piercing  ideas  of  the 
Master  are  explained  and  brought  home  to  personal  character  and  life 
in  an  illuminating  and  stimulating  way." — Watchiman. 

With  the  Sorrowing    a  Pastor's  Handbook. 

i6mo.  Cloth  flex.,  net  75  cts.  Edited  by  F.  W.  PAL/IER 

Presented  with  confidence  to  pastors,  misi^ionaries  and  other  vis* 
Itors  in  the  homes  of  sorrow,  as  likely  to  prove  a  most  valuable  aid  in 
their  trying  experiences.  Although  primarily  a  service  book  for 
funerals,  it  is  vasdy  more  than  this.  With  Scripture  selections  of  ez- 
ceptional  suggestive  values  and  a  collection  of  poems  of  coafoit  both 
rare  and  strikins  the  little  voluae  will  be  greatly  prae<L 


DEVOTIONAL  STUDIES. 


The  Christ  of  To- Day    what?     whence?    Whlther? 
i6mo.  Boards,  net  50c.  Q.  CAnPBELL  MORGAN 

A  study  originally  presented  from  the  platform  of  the  Northfield 
Conferences,  awakening  exceptional  interest  at  the  time.  No  more 
suggestive  work  has  appeared  from  Dr.  Morgan's  pen. 

The  Redeemed  Life  After  Death 

i6mo.  Boards,  net  50c.         CHARLES  CUTHBERT  HALL 

Not  a  new  theory  of  Immortality  or  a  review  of  old  theories,  but  a 
presentation  with  rare  literary  charm  and  with  the  comprehension  of 
wide  scholarship,  of  the  grip  of  the  Christian  heirt  upon  the  life  to 
come.     It  will  comfort  and  assure  the  sorrowing,  guide  and  convince 

the  inquiring. 

Moments  of  Silence 

lamo,  Cloth,  net  11.25.  ALEXANDER  SHELLIE,  M.A. 

A  book  of  daily  meditations  for  a  year. 

Yet  Another  Day 

32mo,  Cloth,  net,  25c.  Leather,  net,  35c.     J.  H.  JOWETT,  M.A. 

A  brief  prayer  for  every  day  of  the  year,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that,  although  scarcely  any  one  of  them  contains  one  hundred 
words  and  most  of  them  far  less,  they  will  drive  straight  to  the  heart 
as  nothing  that  ever  came  from  Mr.  Jowett's  pen.  It  is  an  extraordi- 
nary, little  book,  the  flower  of  the  sweetest,  open  eyed  love  of  Christ. 
The  impression  of  a  single  page  is  indelible. 

The  Inner  Chamber  of  the  Inner  Life 

i2mo.  Cloth,  net  75c.  ANDREW  MURRAY 

Suggests  thoughts  of  the  utmost  importance  as  to  the  daily  need  of 
retirement,  the  true  spirit  of  prayer,  the  fellowship  with  God,  and 
ibindred  topics. 

Inter-Communion  With  God 

i2mo.  Cloth,  net  ♦1.00.         MARSHALL  P.  TALLING,  PH.D. 

"Follows  the  theme  of  'Extempore  prayer,'  along  wider  and 
higher  lines.  In  the  present  book,  true  prayer  is  shown  to  be  an 
approach  from  both  the  human  and  the  divine  sides." — 714*  West- 
minster. 

Bible  Etchings  of  Immortality 

i2mo,  Cloth,  decorated,  net  50c.  CAHDEN  M.  COBERN 

"The  consolatory  character  of  this  little  book  makes  it  a  suitable 
gift  to  a  bereaved  friend." — Outlook. 

Scripture  Selections  to  Memorize 

With  hanger,  net  %x.oo.  HELEN  MILLER  GOULD 

A  Wall  Roll  of  passages  emphasizing  the  power  and  love  of  God, 
the  dignity  of  man,  Christ  as  teacher,  Redeemer,  King.  The  life  of 
the  Christian,  his  duties,  his  final  reward;  prayer;  worship:  love. 
Selections  from  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  most  helpful  in  strength- 
ening faith,  and  deepening  personal  devotion. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  EVANGELISTIC. 

Maltbie  Davenport  Babcock 

A  biographical  sketch  and  memorial.    With  portrait    ad  ediiifm 
lamo.  Cloth,  |i.oo  CHARLES  E.  ROBINSON 

"It  was  indeed  hard  to  give  any  true  presentment  of  a  man  like 
Babcock,  so  virid,  so  dazzling  at  times,  so  lovable  always;  but  the 
writer  s  success  is  quite  wonderful."— //^«ry  Van-Dyke. 


John  Henry  Barrows  ^u^u™°'''  ^^  his  daughter,  with 

«  ^^m^   •«««««  VTT.>  2   hitherto  unpublished  portraits 

8vo,  gat  top,  net  $1.50.  MARY  ELEANOR  BARROWS 

"The  whole  story  from  beginning  to  end,  at  home  and  abroad,  is 
nobly  fascinating,  and  wherever  read  will  do  much  to  waken  into  fresh 
power  the  higher  ideals  of  life.  Were  it  fact  or  fiction,  a  more  ab- 
sorbingly interesting  story  has  not  appeared  for  a  long  time."— 
Chtcago  Tribune. 


What  Frances  WUlard  Said 

xamo.  Cloth,  net  75c.  Edited  by  ANNA  A.  GORDON, 

World's  Vice  President  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U. 

Selections  of  most  striking  statements  on  a  great  variety  of  topics, 

and  representing  the  many  really  remarkable  qualities  of  America's 

••  uncrowned  queen  "  of  women. 

The  Soul- Winning  Church  ^ 

and  Edition      izmo.  Cloth,  net  50c  LEN  0.  BROUQHTON. 

''Dr.  Broughton,  of  Adanta,  is  a  well-known  revivalist  Some  of 
his  most  effective  addresses  in  this  country  and  in  England  are  com- 
prised in  this  volume.  They  are  plain,  pungent,  and  spiritually  quick- 
ening."—7%/r  Outlook. 

The  Awakening  in  Wales '^°'^^°g'p';?^^^5*"''^'^" 

lamo.  Paper,  net  25c.  ORS.  JESSIE  PENN-LEWIS 

Mrs.  Penn-Lewis  writes  from  first-hand  information  of  the  great 
revival  movement  and  the  events  that  led  up  to  it  It  is  doubdess  the 
most  powerful  and  inspiring  record  yet  written  of  the  great  revival. 

The  Story  of  the  Welsh  Revival 

4th  Ediuon,     i6mo.  Paper,  net  15c.    ARTHUR  GOODRICH, B. A. 

As  told  by  eye  witnesses,  together  with  a  sketch  of  Evan  Roberts 
and  his  message  toUie^w^rld^    With  added  chapters  by  G.  Campbell 

kins  and  others. 


The  Open  Church  for  the  Unchurched 

or  How  to  Reach  the  Masses. 

"mo.  Cloth,  iloo.  J.  E.  Mcculloch 

The  remarkable  movement  in  British  cities  organized  by  the  Wes. 
leyan  church  for  reaching  the  masses  has  here  been  described  and  its 
lessons  studied  as  applied  to  the  needs  of  this  country. 


,  HISTORICAL.  REFCRCNCC.  TEXT  BOOKS. 

I  ij 

The  History  of  the  Reformation  of  Re- 
ligion in  Scotland  with  which  are  included  Knox's 
confession  and  the  book  of  Discipline.     A  Twentieth  Century  Edition. 
RcTised  and  edited  by  Cuthbert  Lennox,  with  frontispiece  portrait. 
Illustrated,  8vo,  Cloth,  net  $2.00.  JOHN  KNOX 

This  is  a  classic  prepared  for  modern  readers.  Thomas  Carlyle 
said  of  Knox's  history .  "The  story  of  this  great  epoch  is  nowhere  to 
be  found  as  impressively  narrated  as  in  this  book  of  Knox's." 

History  Unveiling  Prophecy;  "^.^i^';,^:^.^'^ 

8vo.  Cloth,  net  $2.00.  H.  QRATTAN  GUINNESS 

A  far-seeing  study  of  the  gradual  unveiling  of  the  meaning  of  the 
Apocalypse  of  St.  John  as  it  may  be  discovered  in  the  events  of  the 
intervening  centuries. 

The  Treasury  of  Scripture  Knowledge 

New  Edition.    8vo,  Cloth,  I2.00 

Introduction  by  R.  A.  TORREY 
"  In  preparing  notes  on  the  Bible  Lessons  and  on  the  books  of  the 
Bible,  I  have  found  more  help  in  the  Treasury  of  Scripture  Knowl- 
edge than  in  all  other  books  put  together.  I  have  recommended  the 
use  of  this  book  to  many  people,  and  in  after  years  they  have  thanked 
me  for  calling  their  attention  to  it.  Their  experiences  with  it  have 
been  similar  to  mine." — R.  A.  Torrey. 

The  Cyclopedic  Handbook  to  the  Bible 

An  introduction  to  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  by  the  late  Joseph 
Angus,  M.A.,  M.D.,  thoroughly  revised  and  in   part  rewritten  by 
8vo.  Cloth,  net  «s.oo.  SAMUEL  Q.  QREEN 

"In  its  present  revised  form  much  has  been  added  from  the  gain 
acquired  by  a  half-century  of  increasing  knowledge,  while   the  origi- 
nal plan,  with  some  rearrangement,  remains  the  same." — The  Outlook^ 

Old  Testament  Introduction  General  and  spedaL 

8vo,  Cloth,  net  ♦2.00.  JOHN  HOWARD  RAVEN 

A  scholarly  work  that  is  marked  by  unusual  clearness  and  attrac- 
tive style.  The  author  holds  that  the  traditional  view  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament has  nothing  to  fear  except  from  the  ignorance  and  prejudice 
of  its  adherents.  He  has  prepared  a  conservative  text  book  that 
covers  the  whole  field,  with  the  view  of  avoiding  both  over-conciseneu 
and  diffuseness. 

Exposition  of  the  Apostle's  Creed 

Guild  Text  Books.     15th  Thousand. 

l6mo,  cloth,  net  40c ;  paper,  net  25c  J.  DODDS 

Supplies  a  real  need.  It  contains  a  careful,  well-informed  and 
well-balanced  statement  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  which  are  ex- 
pressed or  indicated  in  the  Creed,  will  be  helpful  to  many  as  arranging 
the  passages  of  Scripture  en  which  these  doctrines  rest. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


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